A 4.7 magnitude earthquake struck just miles from an Alaskan city already on alert for a possible volcanic eruption.
The Alaska Earthquake Center recorded the tremor near Hope at 12:03am local time (4:03am ET).
The epicenter was located some 33 miles south of Anchorage, where thousands of residents reported feeling light shaking.
Anchorage sits about 78 miles from Mount Spurr, which continues to show signs of unrest with elevated seismic activity and increased gas emissions.
‘Felt it from 45 miles north of Anchorage—first heard the building creak, then came a solid shake followed by a slight rolling motion at the end,’ one local shared online.
Residents across the region have been warned to ‘stay alert for aftershocks and follow local emergency guidance.’
The 4.7 magnitude earthquake is the fifth quake measuring a 4.1 or greater in the South-Central region of Alaska in the last 11 days.
This region is located within a seismically active region known as the Alaska-Aleutian subduction system that is characterized by the Pacific plate subducting (sinking) beneath the North American plate, creating a major earthquake hazard.
A 4.7 magnitude earthquake struck just miles from an Alaskan city already on alert for a possible volcanic eruption. The Alaska Earthquake Center recorded the tremor near Hope at 12:03am local time (4:03am ET)
Anchorage sits about 78 miles from Mount Spurr, which continues to show signs of unrest with elevated seismic activity and increased gas emissions
The US Geological Survey’s website shows at least five earthquakes have hit since the 4.7 magnitude.
The tremors were small, however, ranging from 1.1 to 2.0 magnitude.
An assessment from Michigan Tech University showed that people typically do not feel quakes with a magnitude of 2.5 or less.
Those from 2.5 to 5.4 are often felt but only cause minor damage.
No damages or injuries have been reported following the 4.7 magnitude earthquake.
The latest aftershock, a 1.1 magnitude, was detected in Anchorage, but was not strong enough to cause any shaking.
But following the nearly 5.0 magnitude, locals took to social media to report their experiences.
‘Earthquake! Anyone feel it in Anchorage just now? My apartment was shaking a few seconds. Strange my dogs slept through it,’ a user shared on X.
Scientists are closely monitoring Mount Spurr as it continues to show signs of unrest. Pictured is the volcano on March 26, emitting steam
Another Anchorage resident simply posted: ‘Felt that one!’
Josh Studdard shared on X: ‘We keep having earthquake here in Anchorage, Alaska. Mount Spurr might erupt any day now! Low key can’t wait to see it.’
The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) released an update Monday about the status of an eruption, noting that ‘frequent small volcanic earthquakes were detected beneath the volcano over the past day.’
However, the tremors were too small to locate.
The agency performed a flyover of Mount Spurr on April 24, finding ‘gas emissions are broadly unchanged from March and remain elevated above background levels.’
‘The volcano remains at an elevated level of unrest and an explosive eruption (or eruptions) like those that occurred in 1953 and 1992 is still possible,’ the AVO shared Friday.
Officials said that when the eruption happens it will be similar to the event in 1992 (pictured)
If the eruption does happen, Mount Spurr would spew multiple plumes of ash rising as high as 50,000 feet into the air, Matt Haney, scientist-in-charge at the AVO at US Geological Survey (USGS) told DailyMail.com.
Each ash-producing explosive episode would last three to four hours, and the resulting cloud could blanket the city of Anchorage and other nearby communities in a thick layer of dust.
The eruption would also produce destructive mudslides and avalanches of volcanic debris racing down the volcano’s side at over 200 miles per hour, ‘but fortunately, there are not any communities in that radius that would be affected,’ Haney said.
Residents of Anchorage are now stocking up on protective gear, including TikToker Lia, who showed off how she and her family are preparing for the imminent eruption.
‘Mount Spurr is about to erupt, and I want to make sure we are prepared because we have never gone through a volcanic eruption,’ she said.
She explained that the biggest concern is ash that will be blown from the explosion over the city, showing she purchased several respirators, goggles and air filters for her vehicle.
Lia said she purchased swim goggles from Amazon, explaining that they needed to be tight around the head in order to keep the ash out.
She also purchased a pair of goggles for her dog, which is what many Anchorage residents have done to protect their pups.
Lia said her doors and windows ‘seal up very nice nicely’ so she did not purchase tape.
However, other residents have stockpiled duct tape that they will place around window sills and door openings to protect against ashfall and other hazards.
‘So now we just wait for it to erupt and see how it goes,’ said Lia in the TikTok, explaining that experts are predicting about a quarter-inch of ash to blanket Anchorage.
