3.6

M3.6 Earthquake 55 km S of Ivanof Bay, Alaska — December 31, 2020

2020-12-31 23:32:33 UTC (2020-12-31) · approx. 12:32 PM UTC-11 local

MagnitudeM3.6(ml)
Time23:32 UTC≈ 12:32 PM UTC-11
Depth7.1 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates55.404°, -159.377°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On December 31, 2020 at 23:32 UTC, a magnitude 3.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 55 km S of Ivanof Bay, Alaska, at a depth of 7.1 km and coordinates 55.4040°, -159.3768°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3.8 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 184 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 55.40°, -159.38°

ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity

Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M3.6 earthquake near 55 km S of Ivanof Bay, Alaska

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.6 ml
Depth
7.1 km
shallow crustal
Location
55.4040°N
-159.3768°E
Intensity (MMI)
1.9
weak

Technical Information

Event ID
ak020gtokx7a
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
199
RMS Residual
0.61 sec
Last Updated
2021-03-06 23:21:08 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.6 earthquake near Ivanof Bay, Alaska?

The magnitude 3.6 earthquake that struck 55 km S of Ivanof Bay, Alaska on December 31, 2020 at 23:32 UTC had a depth of 7.1 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.6 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Understanding This Data

Magnitude 3.6 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.

Learn more about magnitude →

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: ak020gtokx7a). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 31, 2020). M3.6 Earthquake 55 km S of Ivanof Bay, Alaska — December 31, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/ak020gtokx7a/