An earthquake shook the Southern Alaska area near Anchorage early this afternoon.

The quake hit at 12:12 p.m. Alaska time (1:12 p.m. B.C. time).

The U.S. Geological Survey measured it as a 4.5-magnitude quake at a depth of 33 kilometres (21 miles).

The epicentre was located 20 kilometres (13 miles) southwest of Susitna North, Alaska; 87 kilometres (54 miles) north of Anchorage, Alaska; and 810 kilometres (503 miles) west of Whitehorse, Yukon.

Earlier this week, an offshore 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck west of the Alaska Panhandle and Northern B.C. on November 23.