On December 19, 2007, the Adreanof Islands earthquake occurred between the North America and Pacific plates. The Pacific plate moves northwest towards the North American plate with a velocity of 72mm/y. At the Aleutian trench, the Pacific plate subducts beneath the North American plate, resulting in an earthquake in the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. This earthquake had a magnitude of 7.2 and struck at 11:30pm on a Tuesday. A tsunami warning was issued however there were no reports of an actual tsunami. There were also no reports of any injuries or damages, and officials determined that the waves from the earthquake didn't pose a widespread destructive threat. This earthquake caused no casualties. It was felt strongly on Adak, an island 209 km SW of the Andreanof Islands, but did not cause damage. Throughout the end of December, about 250 aftershocks were reported of magnitudes 2.0 and greater. Eleven of these had magnitudes greater than 5.0, and the largest aftershock had a magnitude of 6.2, occurring on December 20th.
Facts
An Anchorage Police Department dispatcher said he didn’t feel the earthquake (2100 km away)
The Aleutian Islands are a chain of over 300 islands extending southwestwards from Alaska into the Northern Pacific Ocean
A tsunami warning was cancelled early Wednesday for Alaska’s coasts
The Circum Pacific seismic belt, the earth’s most active seismic feature, brushes Alaska and the Aleutian Islands where more earthquakes happen than in the other 49 states of the U.S. combined.