Tsunami warning issued after magnitude 7.2 earthquake strikes Alaska Peninsula

An earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale struck the Alaska Peninsula on Wednesday. The powerful quake hit at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres (6.21 miles), raising concerns about potential damage.

The US Geological Survey reported that the earthquake struck just after 12:30 PM (local time) near Sand Point on Popof Island, right in the heart of the Alaska Peninsula. While Michigan Technological University stated an earthquake capable of causing “serious damage,” is considered to have a magnitude between 7.0-7.9. So far, about 10–15 earthquakes of this magnitude have been reported each year.

Following the tremor, the US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami warning for parts of coastal Alaska. Authorities have urged residents in affected areas to stay alert and follow safety instructions.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake south of Sand Point happened due to “the result of thrust faulting on or near the subduction zone interface between the Pacific and North America plates.”

TECTONIC PLATES DRIVE FREQUENT SEISMIC EVENTS

Alaska is the most seismically active state in the United States, accounting for approximately 11% of the world’s earthquakes and 17.5% of those in the US. The high level of seismic activity is driven by its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate along the Alaska-Aleutian Megathrust, a major fault system stretching over 2,500 miles.

Some of the biggest earthquakes in history — including the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964 — are caused by this tectonic boundary. The Great Alaska Earthquake had a magnitude of 9.2 and is still the strongest earthquake in North America and the second largest worldwide.

These earthquakes often lead to tsunami warnings because they can shift the seafloor along the Aleutian Megathrust and create dangerous ocean waves.

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