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M3.9 Earthquake near Nikolski, United States — 22 September 2026

A minor earthquake of magnitude 3.9 was recorded near Nikolski, United States on , with an epicentre 167 km west-southwest of Nikolski, at a focal depth of 112.0 km. It ranked as the 121st strongest of 7351 earthquakes recorded in the United States in the preceding 30 days.

3.9 Minor

Time (UTC): 2026-09-22 00:44:44

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 3.9 (minor)

Focal depth: 112.0 km (intermediate)

Epicentre: 52.1490, -170.9640

Location: 167 km WSW 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 3.9 earthquake radiates roughly 11 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 234, 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 13:20 local solar time at the epicentre, around midday.

This event was deeper than 98% of the 157,516 earthquakes recorded in the United States in our catalogue and stronger than 99% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 52.1490, -170.9640 — 167 km west-southwest of Nikolski. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 3.8 earthquake 4 km west-northwest of here on 18 September 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Nikolski (177 km south-southeast) and Atka (220 km southwest).

Why the 112 km depth matters

At 112 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 M3.9 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 112 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

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the 2 hours since this event.

147 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 M3.9 event released about 7,943 times less energy than that event.

119 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 18 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 3 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 3 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Nikolski?

It measured magnitude 3.9 — a minor earthquake. A magnitude 3.9 earthquake radiates roughly 11 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Nikolski?

The focus was 112 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.

Was the Nikolski earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 3.9 and a focal depth of 112 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near Nikolski happen?

22 September 2026 at 00:44 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 in the 2 hours since this event.

How often do earthquakes happen near Nikolski?

147 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 M3.9 event released about 7,943 times less energy than that event.