Earthquake Alaska: Magnitude 7.2 quake hits, tsunami advisory

A “notable” earthquake has been recorded in the ocean off the coast of Alaska, United States, sparking a tsunami advisory.

A tsunami warning was initially issued after the 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit near Alaska, but it has now been downgraded to an advisory.

A major earthquake has struck near the United States state of Alaska, sparking a tsunami advisory.

The 7.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 0648 GMT Sunday, the United States Geological Survey said.

The offshore quake was detected at a depth of 32 kilometres off the Alaskan Peninsula, the USGS said.

A tsunami warning was initially issued for South Alaska, the Alaska Peninsula and regions of the Pacific near to the earthquake.

The warning has since been downgraded to an advisory, meaning a tsunami with the potential to generate strong currents or waves dangerous to those in or very near the water is imminent, expected, or occurring.

The advisory is in effect from Chignik Bay off the Alaska Peninsula to Unimak Pass.

The earthquake was first described as being of 7.4 magnitude but seismologists have since revised that down to 7.2 magnitude.

A father grabs his children and flees as the earthquake hits. Picture: Twitter

The quake hit about 100km south of Sand Point, Alaska.

Video: The #Alaska#earthquake#Tsunamipic.twitter.com/K6hpgxuk8W

— CBKNEWS (@CBKNEWS121) July 16, 2023

🌊A TSUNAMI WARNING has been issued for coastal Alaska, from Kennedy Entrance to Unimak Pass

❗ Significant inundation is possible or already occurring. Move inland to higher ground.

Estimated tsunami start times:
Sand Point 12:10 AM
Kodiak 12:35 AM
Cold Bay 1:35 AM pic.twitter.com/NwWZp6LGkt

— NWS Anchorage (@NWSAnchorage) July 16, 2023

NWS Anchorage initially warned that a tsunami could hit Sand Point at 12.10am, Kodiak at 12.35am and Cold Bay at 1.35am (local times).

There is no tsunami threat to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska.

The quake was felt in the Aleutian Islands, the Alaskan Peninsula, and Cook Inlet regions.

The area of Alaska potentially impacted has been reduced and the tsunami warning was downgraded to an advisory. Picture: NWS Juneau

Frightening footage aired on social media showed a house violently shaking as a man urgently grabbed his children and fled.

The USGS described the earthquake as “notable”.

Tsunamis, which are huge waves caused by the sudden displacement of water, can be incredibly lethal.

The 2014 tsunami in the Indian Ocean off Sumatra, Indonesia, killed about 225,000 people.

People who threatened by tsunamis are urged to get to high ground as far inland as possible.

A sudden rise or draining of ocean water is a sign that a tsunami is imminent.

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake is considered “strong”.

Because of how the logarithmic scale of magnitude is worked out, a 7.2 quake is ten times more powerful than a 6.2 quake.

The quake near Alaska released the energy equivalent of about 1.8 billion kgs of explosive, making it more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic bomb.

Originally published as Earthquake Alaska: Magnitude 7.2 quake hits, tsunami advisory