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M5.6 Earthquake near Yakutat, United States — 06 December 2025, 20:46 UTC

A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.6 was recorded near Yakutat, United States on , with an epicentre 84 km north of Yakutat, at a focal depth of 5.0 km. It ranked as the 6th strongest of 6586 earthquakes recorded in the United States in the preceding 30 days.

5.6 Moderate

Time (UTC): 2025-12-06 20:46:12

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 5.6 (moderate)

Focal depth: 5.0 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 60.2995, -139.5950

Location: 84 km N of Yakutat, Alaska

Country: United States

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Automatic

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Moderate earthquakes can damage poorly built or unreinforced structures near the epicentre, while well-engineered buildings typically escape serious harm. Shaking is often strong enough to wake sleeping residents over a wide area.

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake radiates roughly 3,908 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 484, 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 11:27 local solar time at the epicentre, during the morning.

This event was shallower than 58% of the 155,743 earthquakes recorded in the United States in our catalogue and stronger than 100% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 60.2995, -139.5950 — 84 km north of Yakutat. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 1.7 earthquake 8 km north of here on 20 August 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Burwash Landing (35 km north), Beaver Creek (69 km west), Copper Center (101 km west-northwest) and McCarthy (109 km west).

Why the 5 km depth matters

At 5 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 can be felt widely and may cause minor local damage. 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 M5.6 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

418 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 5.8.

117 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.0 event near Yakutat on 06 December 2025. This M5.6 event released about 122 times less energy than that event.

64 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 7 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 December 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in the United States during December 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 5 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 5 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Yakutat?

It measured magnitude 5.6 — a moderate earthquake. A magnitude 5.6 earthquake radiates roughly 3,908 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Yakutat?

The focus was 5 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Yakutat earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 5.6 and a focal depth of 5 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Yakutat happen?

06 December 2025 at 20:46 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

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

Have there been aftershocks?

418 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 5.8.

How often do earthquakes happen near Yakutat?

117 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.0 event near Yakutat on 06 December 2025. This M5.6 event released about 122 times less energy than that event.