M2.4 Earthquake near Matanuska-Susitna Borough, United States — 12 January 2025
A minor earthquake of magnitude 2.4 was recorded near Matanuska-Susitna Borough, United States on , with an epicentre 59 km southwest of Cantwell, at a focal depth of 74.7 km. It ranked as the 400th strongest of 6459 earthquakes recorded in the United States in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2025-01-12 21:15:57
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 2.4 (minor)
Focal depth: 74.7 km (intermediate)
Epicentre: 62.9947, -149.7280
Location: 59 km SW of Cantwell, Alaska
Country: United States
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Automatic
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Minor earthquakes in this range are felt by people close to the epicentre as a brief jolt or rattle, but they very rarely cause any damage.
A magnitude 2.4 earthquake radiates roughly 60 kg of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 89, 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 62.9947, -149.7280 — 59 km southwest of Cantwell. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 1.4 earthquake 32 km north-northwest of here on 01 August 2026.
Why the 75 km depth matters
At 75 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 M2.4 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 seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.4.
22 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 M2.4 event released about 251,189 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 January 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in the United States during January 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M1.4 earthquake near Cantwell, Alaska — (32 km NNW)
- M1.9 earthquake near Petersville, Alaska — (35 km W)
- M1.6 earthquake near Cantwell, Alaska — (35 km WNW)
- M1.8 earthquake near Petersville, Alaska — (47 km WSW)
- M1.7 earthquake near Petersville, Alaska — (70 km W)
- M1.6 earthquake near Denali National Park, Alaska — (74 km WNW)
- M1.6 earthquake near Denali National Park, Alaska — (77 km NW)
- M3.5 earthquake near Denali National Park, Alaska — (78 km NW)
- M2.0 earthquake near Denali National Park, Alaska — (79 km NW)
- M1.6 earthquake near Denali National Park, Alaska — (79 km NW)
Other recent earthquakes in the United States
- M0.2 earthquake near Geyserville, United States —
- M0.2 earthquake near Geyserville, United States —
- M1.1 earthquake near Geyserville, United States —
- M1.3 earthquake near Geyserville, United States —
- M0.7 earthquake near Geyserville, United States —
- M2.1 earthquake near Middletown, United States —
- M1.3 earthquake near Ridgecrest, United States —
- M1.3 earthquake near Brea, United States —
- M1.9 earthquake near Kenai, United States —
- M1.5 earthquake near Ridgecrest, United States —
Other magnitude 2 earthquakes worldwide
- M2.1 earthquake near Progreso, B.C., MX —
- M2.7 earthquake near Naalehu, Hawaii —
- M2.4 earthquake near Ashford, Washington —
- M2.7 earthquake near Maricao, Puerto Rico —
- M2.5 earthquake near Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands —
- M2.1 earthquake near Progreso, B.C., MX —
- M2.3 earthquake near Progreso, B.C., MX —
- M2.5 earthquake near Ninilchik, Alaska —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 2.4 earthquake?
Minor earthquakes in this range are felt by people close to the epicentre as a brief jolt or rattle, but they very rarely cause any damage. A magnitude 2.4 earthquake radiates roughly 60 kg of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Matanuska-Susitna Borough?
At 75 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 M2.4 earthquake near Matanuska-Susitna Borough 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 M2.4 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 seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.4.
How often do earthquakes happen near Matanuska-Susitna Borough?
22 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 M2.4 event released about 251,189 times less energy than that event.