Series of strong earthquakes hits near Alaska’s Adak Island

A series of strong earthquakes – the strongest two measuring 6.3 – has struck the North Pacific Ocean near Alaska’s Adak Island, seismologists say. No tsunami warnings were issued and there were no immediate reports of damage.

The first earthquake happened at 9:57 a.m. local time on Sunday when a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck about 70 miles (113 km) southwest of Adak Island, which is part of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands.

Adak Island, with a population of about 300 people, is nearly 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage.

After several aftershocks, a second 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit the same area at 3:15 p.m. local time. This was followed by another series of aftershocks, including a 6.1 at 3:38 p.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

“Based on all available data, there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in one of multiple statements.

The Alaska Earthquake Center said some people reported feeling light shaking from Sunday’s earthquake swarm. There were no immediate reports of damage. Aftershocks – particularly of magnitude 5 and below – are likely to continue for days and weeks to come.

“Swarms of moderately large earthquakes are common in the Aleutians and do not necessarily portend anything more substantial,” Michael West, the director of the Alaska Earthquake Center, said in a statement. However, he added, “Because this area has been in, or on the edge, of numerous large historical earthquakes, we are keeping close watch on it.”

The sparsely populated region of Alaska, which sits on the so-called ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’, is occasionally struck by powerful earthquakes. Most notably, a 9.2-magnitude earthquake struck north of Prince William Sound in March 1964, creating a tsunami which killed at least 143 people.