16-7-2023 (ALASKA) A tsunami warning was issued after a powerful earthquake struck the Alaska Peninsula region early on Sunday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The US Tsunami Warning System issued the threat for nearby regions, alerting the public that widespread flooding is imminent, expected, or occurring as a result of a tsunami. Flooding may also continue for hours after its arrival.
Initially, the earthquake was read at a magnitude of 7.4, but the USGS later revised it to 7.2. The initial depth of 9.3 km (5.78 miles) was also revised to 32.6 km (20.3 miles) a short time later. The geological survey reported that little to no population was exposed to the quake. It added that little or no land sliding is expected, but some could have occurred in highly susceptible areas.
The Alaska Earthquake Centre reported that the quake was widely felt throughout the Aleutian Islands, the Alaskan Peninsula, and Cook Inlet regions. The tsunami warning was changed to an advisory, which specifies that strong currents or dangerous waves are expected, imminent, or occurring, just after 9 am GMT.
The Alaskan Peninsula is an area where earthquakes are relatively common. It extends 885 km (550 miles) into the Pacific Ocean. The USGS recorded a magnitude 5.2 earthquake around three minutes after the 7.2 quake in the same area on Sunday morning. A further 3.5 magnitude quake was recorded in the peninsula at 8.30 am GMT.
Despite the frequency of earthquakes, only those measured above a magnitude of four or five tend to cause damage, according to the USGS.
