Massive 8.2 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Alaska Peninsula

Tsunami warnings were lifted for parts of Alaska after a monster of an earthquake rocked its peninsula early Thursday. 

The magnitude 8.2 quake struck off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands chain, which prompted immediate tsunami warnings and evacuations in Kodiak. 

According to NBC News, tsunami warnings for parts of Alaska were later lifted. A tsunami watch was also canceled for Hawaii. 

The Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management tweeted that the State Emergency Operations Center was activated. 

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake struck around 56 miles east southeast of Perryville, Alaska. Two quakes followed the initial one. First, 6.2 and 5.6 occurred in the same area about 30 minutes after 8.2. 

There were no reports of damage or threats to Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, about 500 miles away from the quake’s epicenter. 

The Aleutian Islands is comprised of a dozen islands and has about 40 active and 17 inactive volcanoes. A swarm of earthquakes sometimes precedes volcanic eruptions. 

In May, Alaska’s Great Sitkin volcano erupted, which is part of the Andreanof Islands group in the Aleutian Islands.

Geologists are also concerned about a supervolcano lurking beneath the Aleutian Islands. There has yet to be any data if today’s quakes are possibly connected with future volcanic activity.