Earthquake.now

M4.2 Earthquake near Anchor Point, United States — 31 March 2026, 15:03 UTC

A light earthquake of magnitude 4.2 was recorded near Anchor Point, United States on , with an epicentre 28 km west of Anchor Point, at a focal depth of 790.0 km. It ranked as the 64th strongest of 8597 earthquakes recorded in the United States in the preceding 30 days.

4.2 Light

Time (UTC): 2026-03-31 15:03:28

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 4.2 (light)

Focal depth: 790.0 km (deep)

Epicentre: 59.8010, -152.3400

Location: 28 km W of Anchor Point, Alaska

Country: United States

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Automatic

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake radiates roughly 30 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 271, 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 04:54 local solar time at the epicentre, in the early hours of the morning.

This event was deeper than 100% of the 156,003 earthquakes recorded in the United States in our catalogue and stronger than 100% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 59.8010, -152.3400 — 28 km west of Anchor Point. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 1.6 earthquake 15 km north of here on 14 September 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge (201 km south-southwest) and Aleneva (219 km south-southwest).

Why the 790 km depth matters

At 790 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 is often felt across the surrounding area. Its deep focus normally weakens surface shaking while spreading perceptible motion over a broad area.

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 M4.2 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 790 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

199 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.1.

35 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 M4.2 event released about 501 times less energy than that event.

3045 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 333 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 March 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in the United States during March 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 4 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 4 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Anchor Point?

It measured magnitude 4.2 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.2 earthquake radiates roughly 30 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Anchor Point?

The focus was 790 km below the surface, which counts as deep.

Was the Anchor Point earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 4.2 and a focal depth of 790 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near Anchor Point happen?

31 March 2026 at 15:03 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

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

Have there been aftershocks?

199 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.1.

How often do earthquakes happen near Anchor Point?

35 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 M4.2 event released about 501 times less energy than that event.