M1.7 Earthquake near Kalifornsky, Alaska — 27 July 2026
A micro earthquake of magnitude 1.7 was recorded near Kalifornsky, Alaska on , with an epicentre 17 km west-northwest of Kalifornsky, at a focal depth of 72.4 km.
Time (UTC): 2026-07-27 17:27:51
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 1.7 (micro)
Focal depth: 72.4 km (intermediate)
Epicentre: 60.4940, -151.5590
Location: 17 km WNW of Kalifornsky, Alaska
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Automatic
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Micro earthquakes are almost never felt at the surface and are recorded only by seismographs.
A magnitude 1.7 earthquake radiates roughly 5.4 kg of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 44, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 60.4940, -151.5590 — 17 km west-northwest of Kalifornsky. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 1.3 earthquake 13 km south of here on 29 July 2026.
Why the 72 km depth matters
At 72 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, events this small are usually detected by instruments rather than people. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M1.7 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
62 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the 5 days since this event, the largest of them magnitude 2.7.
41 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.0 event near Susitna on 27 November 2025. This M1.7 event released about 2.8 million times less energy than that event.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the July 2026 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M1.3 earthquake near Cohoe, Alaska — (13 km S)
- M1.8 earthquake near Kenai, Alaska — (19 km ENE)
- M2.5 earthquake near Soldotna, Alaska — (35 km E)
- M1.7 earthquake near Ninilchik, Alaska — (36 km SW)
- M-0.0 earthquake near Salamatof, Alaska — (41 km W)
- M1.7 earthquake near Kasilof, Alaska — (44 km ESE)
- M2.7 earthquake near Point Possession, Alaska — (47 km NE)
- M2.5 earthquake near Ninilchik, Alaska — (51 km SW)
- M1.5 earthquake near Sterling, Alaska — (53 km ENE)
- M2.5 earthquake near Funny River, Alaska — (56 km ESE)
Other magnitude 1 earthquakes worldwide
- M1.5 earthquake near Lamont, CA —
- M1.7 earthquake near Progreso, B.C., MX —
- M2.0 earthquake near Avalon, CA —
- M1.6 earthquake near Progreso, B.C., MX —
- M1.8 earthquake near Toyah, Texas —
- M1.9 earthquake near Ugashik, Alaska —
- M1.5 earthquake near Progreso, B.C., MX —
- M1.6 earthquake near Whites City, New Mexico —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 1.7 earthquake?
Micro earthquakes are almost never felt at the surface and are recorded only by seismographs. A magnitude 1.7 earthquake radiates roughly 5.4 kg of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Kalifornsky?
At 72 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.
Was the M1.7 earthquake near Kalifornsky felt?
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, events this small are usually detected by instruments rather than people. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M1.7 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
Have there been aftershocks?
62 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the 5 days since this event, the largest of them magnitude 2.7.
How often do earthquakes happen near Kalifornsky?
41 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.0 event near Susitna on 27 November 2025. This M1.7 event released about 2.8 million times less energy than that event.