National

5.3-magnitude earthquake reported off the coast of Alaska, geologists say

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake was reported off the coast of Alaska about 25 miles northwest of Nelson Lagoon, USGS said.
A 5.3-magnitude earthquake was reported off the coast of Alaska about 25 miles northwest of Nelson Lagoon, USGS said. U.S. Geological Survey

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake was reported off the coast of Alaska, geologists said.

The earthquake shook shortly before 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 21, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It rattled off the coast about 25 miles northwest of Nelson Lagoon.

The earthquake was 128 miles deep, USGS reported. Few people reported feeling the earthquake.

Officials did not issue a tsunami warning or watch because of the earthquake, according to the National Weather Service.

Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey says. It replaces the old Richter scale.

Quakes between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude are often felt but rarely cause much damage, according to Michigan Tech. Quakes below 2.5 magnitude are seldom felt by most people.

MC
Maddie Capron
Idaho Statesman
Maddie Capron is a McClatchy Real-Time News Reporter focused on the outdoors and wildlife in the western U.S. She graduated from Ohio University and previously worked at CNN, the Idaho Statesman and Ohio Center for Investigative Journalism.
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