5.7 magnitude earthquake hits Alaska

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Alaska, about 73km from Haines, near Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

The earthquake hit on Wednesday at 11:58 GMT southwest of Haines, which has a population of over 2,500 people. The epicenter was 10km deep, according to United States Geological Survey.

The quake was first reported at a magnitude of 5.8, however it was subseqently downgraded to 5.7.

There have been no reports of casualties.

The circum-Pacific seismic belt, the earth's most active seismic feature, brushes Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, resulting in frequent earthquakes. More than 80 percent of the planet's tremors occur in the circum-Pacific belt, according to USGS data.

Just woke up to a 5.8 earthquake off the coast of Alaska near Juneau. Felt the house shake here in Whitehorse 200 miles away

— Andy Carlson (@YukonLegend) June 4, 2014

One of the strongest earthquakes in the history of Alaska occurred in the Anchorage area on March 27, 1964, according to the USGS. The magnitude was recorded at 8.5 on the Richter scale, then recalculated to 9.2, while the shock devastated downtown Anchorage. It was followed by a tsunami that destroyed many of Alaska's coastal towns and spread along the West Coast of the United States and Canada, and as far as Hawaii. One hundred and twenty-two were drowned by the ensuing tsunami waves - 107 in Alaska, 11 in California, and four in Oregon.

[link to rt.com]