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M4.3 Earthquake near Kaktovik, United States — 15 September 2026

A light earthquake of magnitude 4.3 was recorded near Kaktovik, United States on , with an epicentre 69 km south-southwest of Kaktovik, at a focal depth of 6.6 km. It ranked as the 54th strongest of 7775 earthquakes recorded in the United States in the preceding 30 days.

4.3 Light

Time (UTC): 2026-09-15 09:51:38

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 4.3 (light)

Focal depth: 6.6 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 69.5420, -144.2300

Location: 69 km SSW of Kaktovik, Alaska

Country: United States

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Available

Review status: Reviewed

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 4.3 earthquake radiates roughly 43 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 284, 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 00:14 local solar time at the epicentre, in the early hours of the morning.

This event was deeper than 54% of the 156,089 earthquakes recorded in the United States in our catalogue and stronger than 100% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 69.5420, -144.2300 — 69 km south-southwest of Kaktovik. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 2.8 earthquake 6 km east-northeast of here on 24 March 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Kaktovik (47 km south), Southerly North Slope Borough (55 km southwest) and Arctic Village (221 km south-southwest).

Why the 7 km depth matters

At 7 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 is often felt across the surrounding area. 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

1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded, the largest of them magnitude 2.4.

4 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 4.2 event near Kaktovik on 18 March 2026. This M4.3 event released about 1.4 times more energy than that event.

41 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 8 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 4 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 4 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Kaktovik?

It measured magnitude 4.3 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.3 earthquake radiates roughly 43 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Kaktovik?

The focus was 7 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Kaktovik earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 4.3 and a focal depth of 7 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Kaktovik happen?

15 September 2026 at 09:51 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?

1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded, the largest of them magnitude 2.4.

How often do earthquakes happen near Kaktovik?

4 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 4.2 event near Kaktovik on 18 March 2026. This M4.3 event released about 1.4 times more energy than that event.