Massive earthquake off coast of Alaska triggers tsunami

A 7.4 magnitude earthquake which hit the Alaska Peninsula in the United States on Saturday night has triggered a tsunami warning by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The earthquake hit offshore about 55 miles southwest from Sand Point, Alaska, at a depth of 13 mi. on Saturday night (2:48  a.m. ET), according to the US Tsunami Warning Center.

The USGS, which issued the tsunami advisory on Sunday morning, said though there were no casualties reported so far, the quake has prompted a brief tsunami warning for parts of Alaska near the Aleutian Islands, extending from Unimak Pass to Kennedy Entrance, before being revised to a tsunami advisory.

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The USGS said that the quake was a relatively shallow one, striking at a depth of 9.3 km (5.78 miles) but little or no landslide was expected, though some landslides could have occurred in highly susceptible areas.

“There is no tsunami threat for other Pacific coasts in the US and Canada,” the advisory said.

“The Alaska Volcano Observatory provided a threat notice for the Shishaldin volcano after it sent up a plume of ash earlier Saturday. There is a “watch” currently in effect for the Shishaldin volcano,” it added.