Thanksgiving Day earthquake rattles Alaska

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck southern Alaska on Thursday, near the small town of Susitna, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. No injuries resulting from the phenomenon were reported by noon Friday. The quake struck around 8 a.m. local time at a depth of 42.8 miles below Earth’s surface. Its epicenter was 37 miles away from Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center. At least six aftershocks followed, with several reaching above magnitude 3.0, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

What damage did the tremor cause? A magnitude 6 earthquake is strong enough to cause serious damage, depending on a variety of factors. Because of the earthquake’s depth, even people close to the epicenter reported only slight damage, such as cracked drywall, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center. Significant damage to highways, bridges, and other infrastructure was unlikely, according to the Alaska Department of Transportation. However, the department planned to conduct inspections, it said.

What prompted the earthquake? The earthquake occurred inside the Pacific tectonic plate, which is continually being pushed in tiny increments beneath the North American plate. The Pacific plate bends and suffers stresses as it goes under, causing earthquakes inside the slab—a common course of tremors in the southern and central parts of the state, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center.

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