6.2-magnitude quake hits off Aleutian Islands, Alaska

An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter Scale struck off the Atka Island in southwest Alaska, the northern most U.S. state.

Alaska Earthquake Center said the quake hit at 17:35 local time (0135 GMT), some 74 km south of the Atka Island in the Andreanof Islands, which are part of the Aleutian Islands.

The center, at University of Alaska, Fairbanks, said the tremor originated from about 3.6 km deep.

It was followed by at least two aftershocks, magnitude 2.7 and 1.6 respectively, in less than 30 minutes thereafter.

There have been no reports of injuries or damage as the islands are sparsely populated and the epicenter is more than 1,800 km from Anchorage, the biggest city in Alaska.

Earthquakes are frequent along the Aleutian arc, which extends approximately 3,000 km from the Gulf of Alaska in the east to the Kamchatka Peninsula in the west.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) explains on its website that most of the seismicity along the Aleutian arc results from thrust faulting that occurs along the interface between the Pacific and North America plates, extending from near the base of the trench to depths of 40 to 60 km. Endi