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M2.7 Earthquake near Nikolski, United States — 02 May 2025, 17:17 UTC

A minor earthquake of magnitude 2.7 was recorded near Nikolski, United States on , with an epicentre 75 km west-northwest of Nikolski, at a focal depth of 116.6 km. It ranked as the 275th strongest of 7440 earthquakes recorded in the United States in the preceding 30 days.

2.7 Minor

Time (UTC): 2025-05-02 17:17:59

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 2.7 (minor)

Focal depth: 116.6 km (intermediate)

Epicentre: 53.2761, -169.8380

Location: 75 km WNW of Nikolski, Alaska

Country: United States

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

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 2.7 earthquake radiates roughly 169 kg of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 112, 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 05:58 local solar time at the epicentre, around dawn.

This event was deeper than 99% of the 161,359 earthquakes recorded in the United States in our catalogue and stronger than 94% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 53.2761, -169.8380 — 75 km west-northwest of Nikolski. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 0.7 earthquake 46 km south of here on 21 September 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Dutch Harbor (137 km east-northeast) and Atka (221 km southwest).

Why the 117 km depth matters

At 117 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 M2.7 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 117 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; 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

7 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.7.

158 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.5 event near Nikolski on 17 September 2026. This M2.7 event released about 501,187 times less energy than that event.

28 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 4 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 May 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in the United States during May 2025. 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 Nikolski?

It measured magnitude 2.7 — a minor earthquake. A magnitude 2.7 earthquake radiates roughly 169 kg of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Nikolski?

The focus was 117 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.

Was the Nikolski earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 2.7 and a focal depth of 117 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near Nikolski happen?

02 May 2025 at 17:17 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

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

Have there been aftershocks?

7 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.7.

How often do earthquakes happen near Nikolski?

158 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.5 event near Nikolski on 17 September 2026. This M2.7 event released about 501,187 times less energy than that event.