A 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked the Alaska Peninsula late Saturday, rattling residents and triggering a temporary tsunami warning, reminiscent of a ship’s alarm jolting sailors from slumber.
Initial data situated the quake approximately 55 miles southwest of Sand Point, Alaska, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Preliminary measurements estimated the earthquake at a magnitude of 7.4, but the United States Geological Survey (USGS) later revised it.
Ripple Effects of the Alaska Earthquake
Striking at around 10:48 p.m. local time, the night’s tranquility in Kodiak, Alaska was shattered by sirens echoing throughout the city, as seen in a video circulating on social media.
This seismic activity occurred along the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone, a notorious region for significant tremors.
The USGS reported that since 1900, nine other earthquakes of magnitude 7 and larger have occurred within 250 km of this event.
Tsunami Alert Issued and Subsequently Revoked
This Alaska earthquake spurred the NWS in Anchorage to issue an immediate tsunami warning, cautioning residents about potential “significant inundation.” This warning was akin to a storm cloud threatening a downpour, but it quickly dissolved into an advisory before being rescinded early Sunday.
