Strong quake hits Alaska islands

The US Geological Survey reports that a strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck near the Aleutian Islands in southwestern Alaska.

A strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck on Thursday near the Aleutian Islands in southwestern Alaska, the US Geological Survey reported.

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The quake's epicenter was located at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), 65 kilometers (40 miles) west of Adak, Alaska, the westernmost municipality in the United States with a population of some 300 people.

"The earthquake occurred at 0133 GMT in the Andrean of Islands, one section of the earthquake-prone volcanic island chain," the survey said.

The reading was based on the open-ended moment magnitude scale, now used by US seismologists, which measures the area of the fault that ruptured and the total energy released.

A measurement of five indicates a moderate earthquake, six or higher a strong quake, seven a major quake and eight a great quake.