Since the Nov. 30 Anchorage earthquake, we’ve fielded far more questions about the aftershock sequence than we have about the magnitude 7.0 mainshock that started them. All of those questions popped up again Friday after the magnitude 4.9 aftershock, which was the largest since the night of Nov. 30, and grew more insistent after the magnitude 5 aftershock on New Year's Eve. Below, we will try to answer them as plainly and non-technically as possible.

First, the short version: There is nothing unusual about this aftershock sequence. We are not surprised that strong aftershocks are still happening, and they do not suggest that a larger earthquake is on its way. We cannot say when it will end, but we can say that the aftershocks have already grown far less frequent.