A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck about 58 miles southwest of Unalaska Sunday afternoon. While many locals felt the event, including in Nikolski and Akutan, experts said there was no threat of a tsunami or cause for further concern.
Alaska Volcano Observatory geophysicist John Power said the quake, which hit at 1:39 p.m., isn’t a likely precursor to another seismic event. Power noted that the quake was quite deep. The Alaska Earthquake Center currently estimates the event’s depth at 24.1 miles. Deep earthquakes don’t usually bring a lot of aftershocks, Power said.
“We see earthquakes like this very, very frequently in the Aleutian chain,” he said. “This one’s pretty big, but not unusually big.”
Initial calculations on magnitude, location and depth are subject to change as researchers refine their data.
Power noted that nearby volcanoes Makushin and Okmok are unlikely to be affected by the quake.
To report any seismic activity you felt, head to the United States Geological Survey website. For more information on earthquake preparedness, visit the Alaska Earthquake Center’s website.
