The October 3, 1954 earthquake
M6.8near Sterling, Alaska
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake 38.2 miles deep, centred in Kenai Peninsula Borough. The 114th strongest in Alaska’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 6.8 on October 22, 1936.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 6.8
- moment magnitude (mw)
- Depth
- 38.2 mi
- 61.5 km below the surface
- Local time
- Sunday, October 3, 1954
- 01:18 AST; 11:18 UTC
- In Alaska’s record
- 114th
- strongest of 124,625 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event iscgem891130 (“24 km ENE of Sterling, Alaska”). The USGS event page carries the ShakeMap, felt reports and the official summary.
Counties and cities within 50 miles
Distance from the epicentre to each county boundary (zero when inside) and to each city centre.
Counties
- Kenai Peninsula BoroughAK · inside
- Anchorage MunicipalityAK · 33.1 mi
- Matanuska-Susitna BoroughAK · 41.1 mi
Earthquakes around the epicentre
984 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of this epicentre since 1973.
Earlier earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more within 50 miles, strongest first
- April 26, 1933M6.8
- October 22, 1936M6.8
- June 17, 1934M6.7
- September 27, 1949M6.6
- July 29, 1941M6.4
- October 24, 1937M6.0
- February 19, 1928M5.7
- October 23, 1936M5.7
- January 27, 1931M5.6
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.