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6.8 Magnitude Earthquake Felt Off Alaska; Local Tsunami Warning Lifted

Where the quake occurred.
West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
Where the quake occurred.

This just happened:

A strong earthquake (preliminary magnitude of 7.1 later revised to 6.8) has been detected in a remote area of the Aleutian Islands off Alaska, about 1,000 miles west southwest of Anchorage, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has not issued a warning, watch or advisory at this time for areas outside where the quake occurred. But the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center has posted this alert:

"A Tsunami Warning is now in effect which includes the coastal areas of Alaska from Unimak Pass, Alaska (80 miles NE of Dutch Harbor) to Amchitka Pass, Alaska (125 miles W of Adak)."

We'll update as the story develops.

Update at 10:20 a.m. ET. Quake In Argentina:

USGS just reported that a 6.4-magnitude earthquake has shaken Argentina, about 500 miles north northwest of Buenos Aires. It was very deep (368 miles), though, which would likely limit its effects on the surface.

Update at 8:15 a.m. ET: Magnitude Lowered.

The USGS now estimates it was a 6.8 magnitude quake.

Update at 8:08 a.m. ET: The local tsunami warning has been canceled. "NO destructive tsunami has been recorded, and NO tsunami danger exists along the coasts of the U.S. west coast states, Alaska, and British Columbia. Local authorities can assume all clear upon receipt of this message," the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center says.

Update at 7:25 a.m. ET: USGS just revised its estimate of the quake's depth, to 22.1 miles. Earlier, it put the depth at 6.2 miles.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.