M3.6 Earthquake near Chitina, Alaska — 20 March 2026
A minor earthquake of magnitude 3.6 was recorded near Chitina, Alaska on , with an epicentre 61 km north-northeast of Chitina, at a focal depth of 750.0 km.
Time (UTC): 2026-03-20 01:08:23
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 3.6 (minor)
Focal depth: 750.0 km (deep)
Epicentre: 62.0010, -143.9020
Location: 61 km NNE of Chitina, Alaska
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 3.6 earthquake radiates roughly 3.8 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 199, 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 62.0010, -143.9020 — 61 km north-northeast of Chitina. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 0.2 earthquake 3 km south-southwest of here on 01 July 2026.
Why the 750 km depth matters
At 750 km this was a deep-focus earthquake, occurring well inside the subducting slab rather than in the crust. Deep events are rarely damaging even at large magnitudes, though they can be felt over very long distances.
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 deep focus normally weakens surface shaking while spreading perceptible motion over a broad area.
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 M3.6 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 750 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
4 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 1.7.
0 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 3.9 event near Paxson on 19 November 2025. This M3.6 event released about 2.8 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 March 2026 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M0.2 earthquake near Chitina, Alaska — (3 km SSW)
- M0.0 earthquake near Chitina, Alaska — (8 km WSW)
- M1.4 earthquake near Kenny Lake, Alaska — (8 km W)
- M1.6 earthquake near Chitina, Alaska — (8 km SW)
- M2.0 earthquake near Kenny Lake, Alaska — (9 km W)
- M1.1 earthquake near Nabesna, Alaska — (12 km SE)
- M1.8 earthquake near McCarthy, Alaska — (25 km SE)
- M1.6 earthquake near Chitina, Alaska — (77 km SSW)
- M1.6 earthquake near Slana, Alaska — (80 km N)
- M2.2 earthquake near Tetlin, Alaska — (118 km NNE)
Other magnitude 3 earthquakes worldwide
- M3.4 earthquake near Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands —
- M3.3 earthquake near Desert Hot Springs, CA —
- M3.8 earthquake near Cloverdale, CA —
- M3.8 earthquake near Geyserville, California —
- M3.6 earthquake near Atka, Alaska —
- M3.8 earthquake near Atka, Alaska —
- M3.6 earthquake near Toms Place, CA —
- M3.4 earthquake near Girdwood, Alaska —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 3.6 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 3.6 earthquake radiates roughly 3.8 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Chitina?
At 750 km this was a deep-focus earthquake, occurring well inside the subducting slab rather than in the crust. Deep events are rarely damaging even at large magnitudes, though they can be felt over very long distances.
Was the M3.6 earthquake near Chitina felt?
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 deep focus normally weakens surface shaking while spreading perceptible motion over a broad area.
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 M3.6 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 750 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.
Have there been aftershocks?
4 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 1.7.
How often do earthquakes happen near Chitina?
0 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 3.9 event near Paxson on 19 November 2025. This M3.6 event released about 2.8 times less energy than that event.