Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake — a major event — struck near Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska on March 17, 2003, at a shallow depth of about 33 km. An earthquake this size would have been felt strongly across the surrounding region; shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they tend to cause the strongest shaking and the most damage. Casualties, damage and the recovery depend on local building standards, population and distance from the epicentre — the news coverage, references and photos below capture what happened on the ground.