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M0.5 Depth: 25.5 km

M0.5 Earthquake near Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska (United States)

UTC time: 2026-05-21 22:52:37 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M0.5 earthquake was recorded near Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska (United States) on May 21, 2026 at 22:52 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 26 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this small magnitude are usually barely noticeable and cause no damage.

The event was recorded by USGS. United States: 175 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.1.

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 25.5 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 25.5 km
Shallow
25.5 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Volcanoes nearby

  • Buzzard Creek
    Distance: 66 km ·Tuff ring(s) ·Elevation: 830 m ·Last eruption: -1050 ·United States
  • Wrangell
    Distance: 354 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 4'278 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·United States
  • Hayes
    Distance: 398 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'034 m ·Last eruption: 1200 ·United States
  • Spurr
    Distance: 427 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'374 m ·Last eruption: 1992 ·United States
  • Churchill
    Distance: 480 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 5'005 m ·Last eruption: 847 ·United States

Sources: Smithsonian GVP & USGS

Historic earthquake map · United States

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