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M3.8 Earthquake near Hope, United States — 06 May 2025, 23:28 UTC

A minor earthquake of magnitude 3.8 was recorded near Hope, United States on , with an epicentre 28 km southwest of Hope, at a focal depth of 42.8 km. It ranked as the 45th strongest of 7236 earthquakes recorded in the United States in the preceding 30 days.

3.8 Minor

Time (UTC): 2025-05-06 23:28:01

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 3.8 (minor)

Focal depth: 42.8 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 60.7504, -150.0260

Location: 28 km SW of Hope, Alaska

Country: United States

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Available

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 3.8 earthquake radiates roughly 7.6 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 259, 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 13:27 local solar time at the epicentre, around midday.

This event was deeper than 92% of the 156,995 earthquakes recorded in the United States in our catalogue and stronger than 99% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 60.7504, -150.0260 — 28 km southwest of Hope. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 1.7 earthquake 8 km east-northeast of here on 18 September 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Beluga (58 km northwest), Anchorage (62 km east), Bear Creek (87 km southeast) and Anchor Point (165 km southwest).

Why the 43 km depth matters

At 43 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

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 shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS event record links to NOAA tsunami information because this was a large event in an oceanic region. That link flag does not mean a tsunami occurred or that a warning is active. Check tsunami.gov and instructions from your local authority for the current status of your coastline.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

81 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.3.

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 6.0 event near Susitna on 27 November 2025. This M3.8 event released about 1,995 times less energy than that event.

655 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 124 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 3 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 3 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Hope?

It measured magnitude 3.8 — a minor earthquake. A magnitude 3.8 earthquake radiates roughly 7.6 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Hope?

The focus was 43 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Hope earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 3.8 and a focal depth of 43 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Hope happen?

06 May 2025 at 23:28 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

The USGS record carries a link to NOAA tsunami information for this event. That is not a warning: check your regional tsunami warning centre for any live alert.

Have there been aftershocks?

81 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.3.

How often do earthquakes happen near Hope?

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 6.0 event near Susitna on 27 November 2025. This M3.8 event released about 1,995 times less energy than that event.