The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has reported an earthquake in the Alaska Peninsula region, leading to a tsunami warning being issued by the US Tsunami Warning System. The initial magnitude of the earthquake was recorded as 7.4 by the USGS but was later revised to 7.2. Despite the downgrade, it is still considered a “strong” earthquake on the USGS scale. The initial depth of the quake was revised from 9.3km (5.78 miles) to 32.6 km (20.3 miles). Fortunately, the earthquake did not expose a significant population to its impact.
The Alaska Earthquake Centre noted that the earthquake was widely felt in the Aleutian Islands, Alaskan Peninsula, and Cook Inlet regions. The tsunami warning was later changed to an advisory, indicating the expectation of strong currents or dangerous waves. However, at around 10 am BST, the alert was cancelled. While earthquakes are relatively common in the Alaskan Peninsula region, only those measuring above a magnitude of four or five tend to cause notable damage.