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M2.9 Earthquake near Chignik, United States — 09 September 2026, 21:38 UTC

A minor earthquake of magnitude 2.9 was recorded near Chignik, United States on , with an epicentre 115 km east of Chignik, at a focal depth of 74.3 km. It ranked as the 499th strongest of 7819 earthquakes recorded in the United States in the preceding 30 days.

2.9 Minor

Time (UTC): 2026-09-09 21:38:57

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 2.9 (minor)

Focal depth: 74.3 km (intermediate)

Epicentre: 56.1990, -156.5480

Location: 115 km E of Chignik, 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 2.9 earthquake radiates roughly 338 kg of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 129, 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.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 11:12 local solar time at the epicentre, during the morning.

This event was deeper than 96% of the 154,675 earthquakes recorded in the United States in our catalogue and stronger than 96% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 56.1990, -156.5480 — 115 km east of Chignik. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 2.2 earthquake 10 km north of here on 27 August 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge (126 km west-northwest), Chignik (187 km south) and Akhiok (198 km southeast).

Why the 74 km depth matters

At 74 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, an event this size may be noticed locally, especially close to the epicentre. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

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 M2.9 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

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded.

25 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.8 event near Akhiok on 13 February 2025. This M2.9 event released about 22,387 times less energy than that event.

190 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 28 of them in the past 30 days.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the September 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in the United States during September 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in the United States

All recorded earthquakes in the United States →

Other magnitude 2 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 2 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Chignik?

It measured magnitude 2.9 — a minor earthquake. A magnitude 2.9 earthquake radiates roughly 338 kg of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Chignik?

The focus was 74 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.

Was the Chignik earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 2.9 and a focal depth of 74 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near Chignik happen?

09 September 2026 at 21:38 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

Have there been aftershocks?

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded.

How often do earthquakes happen near Chignik?

25 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.8 event near Akhiok on 13 February 2025. This M2.9 event released about 22,387 times less energy than that event.