USGS · September 17, 2026
Magnitude 6.5 earthquake — 166 km W of Nikolski, Alaska
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake was recorded near 166 km W of Nikolski, Alaska on Sep 17, 2026, 06:19 AM (local time at the epicentre — AKDT, UTC-8), at a depth of about 108.4 km, according to USGS.
USGSFelt by 3 people · community intensity III (weak)Shaking VPAGER GreenTsunami flaggedIntermediate (70–300 km)Reviewed by a seismologist
Updated 2026-09-17 14:46 UTC
The full record
- Magnitude
- M 6.5 · moment magnitude (W-phase)
- Location
- 166 km W of Nikolski, Alaska
- Local time at the epicentre
- Sep 17, 2026, 06:19 AM — AKDT, UTC-8
- Time (UTC)
- 2026-09-17 14:19 UTC
- Depth
- 108.4 km · Intermediate (70–300 km)
- Coordinates
- 52.772, -171.311
- Felt reports
- Felt by 3 people · community intensity III (weak)
- Estimated shaking
- V · Moderate
- PAGER impact alert
- Green — No casualties or significant damage expected.
- Tsunami
- Flagged for tsunami evaluation by the responsible warning centre.
- Significance
- 651 / 1000 · major event
- Solution quality
- 152 seismic stations used · 28° azimuthal gap (well-constrained epicentre)
- Review status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
- Catalog
- USGS
Epicentre and nearby recent earthquakes
The highlighted circle is this earthquake. Smaller circles are other events recorded nearby in the last 30 days.
What the shaking was like
At this depth the energy spreads out before it reaches the surface, so shaking is usually weaker but felt over a wider area.
Estimated instrumental shaking V (Moderate): Felt by nearly everyone; unstable objects overturn and some plaster cracks.
People who reported it described intensity III (Weak): Felt indoors; hanging objects swing, like a passing truck.
Felt it yourself? USGS collects first-hand reports through “Did You Feel It?”, and those reports are what produce the community intensity above.
Who lives nearby
No populated places over 1,000 inhabitants are listed within 100 km of the epicentre.
Earthquake history in this area
12 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5+ have been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960.
Other earthquakes near this epicentre
No other earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km in the last 30 days.
Be first to know about the next earthquake near 166 km W of Nikolski, Alaska
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Frequently asked questions
How strong was the 166 km W of Nikolski, Alaska earthquake?
Magnitude 6.5 (moment magnitude (W-phase)), at a depth of 108.4 km. At this depth the energy spreads out before it reaches the surface, so shaking is usually weaker but felt over a wider area.
Exactly when did it happen?
Sep 17, 2026, 06:19 AM (local time at the epicentre — AKDT, UTC-8). In universal time: 2026-09-17 14:19 UTC.
Was it felt?
Felt by 3 people · community intensity III (weak). Felt by nearly everyone; unstable objects overturn and some plaster cracks.
Was there a tsunami warning?
Flagged for tsunami evaluation by the responsible warning centre.
Which towns are closest to the epicentre?
No populated places over 1,000 inhabitants lie within 100 km of the epicentre.
Are earthquakes normal in this area?
Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 7.3 (Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, 2011), and 0 further events were recorded within 100 km in the last 30 days.
How do I get alerts for the next earthquake here?
Install the free SeismoWatch Android app, draw a box over this area, set a minimum magnitude, and turn alerts on.
About this page
Event data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and, in Venezuela, FUNVISIS. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.