Southern Alaska Shaken by Deep 5.8-magnitude Earthquake
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, June 24 (UPI) — An earthquake about 70 miles deep struck in the mountains of southern Alaska on Wednesday and could be felt hundreds of miles away, geology officials said.
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The 5.8-magnitude earthquake occurred at about 2:30 p.m. local time Wednesday — and was felt in Anchorage, about 75 miles away, and even Fairbanks, which is 250 miles away, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
No incidents of major damage or injury were reported. Earthquakes are common in Alaska, experts say, due to the convergence of multiple underground tectonic plates in a seismic region called the Aleutian Arc.
“This region exhibits intense volcanic activity and has a history of megathrust earthquakes,” the U.S. Geological Survey said. “Since 1900, this region has hosted twelve large earthquakes.”
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck near the same region in September.
The most powerful megathrust earthquake in North American history, with a magnitude of 9.2, struck Alaska in March 1964 — killing 139 people and causing more than $300 million in damage.
