Very strong M7.0 earthquake hits near Yakutat, Alaska
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.0 struck near Yakutat, Alaska, at 20:41 UTC on December 6, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.8 at a depth of 10 km. According to the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC), there is no tsunami danger from this earthquake.
Epicenter of M7.0 earthquake in Yakutat, United States on December 6, 2025. Credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 91 km (56 miles) N of Yakutat (population 662), 248 km (154 miles) W of Whitehorse (population 28 201), 369 km (229 miles) NW of Juneau (population 32 756), 552 km (343 miles) ESE of Eagle River (population 24 793), and 556 km (346 miles) ESE of Knik-Fairview (population 14 923).
1 000 people are estimated to have felt moderate shaking, and 13 000 light.
Based on earthquake information and historic tsunami records, the earthquake is not expected to generate a tsunami. There is no tsunami danger for Alaska, British Columbia, or the U.S. West Coast, the NTWC said.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unreinforced brick masonry and reinforced masonry construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as tsunamis that might have contributed to losses.
Liquefaction triggered by this earthquake is expected to be limited, but landslides are assessed to be significant in severity and/or spatial extent.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M7.0 2025 Yakutat Earthquake — USGS — December 6, 2025
2 M6.8 earthquake southern Yukon Territory, Canada — EMSC — December 6, 2025
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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