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M4.4 Earthquake near Sand Point, United States — 04 March 2026, 13:57 UTC

A light earthquake of magnitude 4.4 was recorded near Sand Point, United States on , with an epicentre 106 km south-southeast of Sand Point, at a focal depth of 20.0 km. It ranked as the 35th strongest of 7225 earthquakes recorded in the United States in the preceding 30 days.

4.4 Light

Time (UTC): 2026-03-04 13:57:39

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 4.4 (light)

Focal depth: 20.0 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 54.4630, -159.8280

Location: 106 km SSE of Sand Point, Alaska

Country: United States

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

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 4.4 earthquake radiates roughly 60 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 298, 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 03:18 local solar time at the epicentre, in the early hours of the morning.

This event was deeper than 85% of the 161,623 earthquakes recorded in the United States in our catalogue and stronger than 100% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 54.4630, -159.8280 — 106 km south-southeast of Sand Point. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.1 earthquake 6 km north of here on 04 September 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Ivanof Bay (98 km north-northeast), Chignik (148 km north-northeast), Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge (169 km north) and Cold Bay (176 km north-northwest).

Why the 20 km depth matters

At 20 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 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 M4.4 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; 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

11 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.2.

89 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.3 event near Sand Point on 16 July 2025. This M4.4 event released about 22,387 times less energy than that event.

262 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 32 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 Sand Point?

It measured magnitude 4.4 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.4 earthquake radiates roughly 60 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Sand Point?

The focus was 20 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Sand Point earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 4.4 and a focal depth of 20 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Sand Point happen?

04 March 2026 at 13:57 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

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

Have there been aftershocks?

11 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.2.

How often do earthquakes happen near Sand Point?

89 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.3 event near Sand Point on 16 July 2025. This M4.4 event released about 22,387 times less energy than that event.