Powerful 7.0 earthquake jolts remote Alaska–Yukon border
7.0-magnitude quake struck a sparsely populated mountain region near the Alaska–Yukon border, sending tremors as far as Whitehorse but causing no serious damage, tsunami risk or reported injuries, while authorities monitor for possible avalanches.
- A powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck a remote, sparsely populated area along the border of Alaska and Canada's Yukon Territory.
- The quake was shallow at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), with tremors being felt by residents in nearby towns.
- There were no immediate reports of significant damage or injuries, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre confirmed there was no tsunami threat.
A powerful earthquake has struck near the North American border region between the United States and Canada, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has reported.
The 7.0-magnitude quake hit a remote area close to the boundary between Alaska and Canada’s Yukon Territory on Saturday (7 December).
According to USGS data, the epicentre was about 10 kilometres (6 miles) deep, roughly 370 kilometres north-west of Juneau, Alaska, and around 250 kilometres west of Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon.
Police in Whitehorse said they received several emergency calls about the quake, with many residents clearly feeling the tremors.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) confirmed there was no tsunami threat in the Pacific Ocean.
Seismologists at Natural Resources Canada said the affected zone is largely mountainous with a sparse population.
There were no immediate reports of structural damage or injuries, with initial accounts mainly describing items falling from shelves and walls.
Despite the remoteness of the area, experts noted that a shallow 7.0-magnitude event at a depth of only 5–10 kilometres is considered a major tremor.
Authorities are maintaining close monitoring of the situation, and avalanche warnings have been issued for some regions.
