Magnitude 6 earthquake strikes off Alaskan coast
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck off the coast of Alaska early Wednesday afternoon, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Officials said the quake happened just before 1 p.m. and was about 87.1 miles southwest of Nikolski, Alaska, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
A magnitude 6 earthquake is strong enough to cause slight damage to buildings and other structures if it takes place on land, according to USGS.
However, it is not strong enough to cause a tsunami. These concerns arise when an earthquake meets the threshold of 6.5 or higher, according to the USGS website.
“Tsunamis capable of producing damage or casualties are rare in this magnitude range but have occurred due to secondary effects such as landslides or submarine slumps,” USGS says.
Destructive tsunamis typically occur above a magnitude 7.6.
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