Strong 6.3 Magnitude Earthquake strikes off Atka Island

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 has struck off Atka Island in the Andreanof Islands, which are part of the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska, seismologists say. No tsunami alerts have been issued. The earthquake, which struck at 9:06 a.m. local time on Saturday, was centered about 51 miles (82 km) south of Atka, which is a small town located on the eastern side of Atka Island.

It struck about 19.9 miles (32 km) deep, making it a shallow earthquake. The U.S. Tsunami Warning Center said the earthquake was not strong enough to generate a tsunami, and no tsunami alerts have been issued, though the earthquake was likely felt on islands across the region. READ MORE