Implementation of an updated earthquake advanced warning system won’t be in operation for a few years, but the Alaska Earthquake Center in Fairbanks is already planning to work on it with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The system, which will be able to provide several seconds to a minute or more of warning, is already in use in California, Oregon and Washington state. USGS published its technical implementation plan for Alaska in February 2025.
At least $2 million of the $34.9 million allocated by Congress to the USGS for continued development and expansion of ShakeAlert will go toward adding Alaska to the system. The effort will first focus on the Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kodiak and Prince William Sound regions, which includes about 90% of the state’s population.
“Bringing earthquake early warning to Alaska has been a lengthy joint effort of the Alaska Earthquake Center and our partners at the U.S. Geological Survey,” said Michael West, state seismologist and director of the Alaska Earthquake Center.
West said U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, helped secure those funds.
“When earthquakes hit, seconds matter,” Murkowski said. “The ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System provides lifesaving tools that detect earthquakes in real time and issue alerts throughout the hazard zone.”
