3.1

M3.1 Earthquake 32 km WSW of Salcha, AlaskaNovember 5, 2021

2021-11-05 22:12:38 UTC (2021-11-05) · approx. 12:12 PM UTC-10 local

Felt by 46 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM3.1(ml)
Time22:12 UTC12:12 PM UTC-10
Depth8.3 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates64.402°, -147.517°
Felt by46DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On November 5, 2021 at 22:12 UTC, a magnitude 3.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 32 km WSW of Salcha, Alaska, at a depth of 8.3 km and coordinates 64.4016°, -147.5173°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 83 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

The epicenter is located in Alaska, a region characterized by Pacific Plate subduction beneath the North American Plate, producing frequent megathrust and crustal earthquakes along the Aleutian arc. The nearest mapped fault system is the Aleutian megathrust. View all earthquakes in Alaska.

Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 64.40°, -147.52°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 46 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M3.1 earthquake near 32 km WSW of Salcha, Alaska

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.1 ml
Depth
8.3 km
shallow crustal
Location
64.4016°N
-147.5173°E
Felt Reports
46
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
3.5
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
ak021e7e8fgh
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
164
RMS Residual
0.70 sec
Last Updated
2022-01-15 20:51:35 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.1 earthquake near Salcha, Alaska?

The magnitude 3.1 earthquake that struck 32 km WSW of Salcha, Alaska on November 5, 2021 at 22:12 UTC had a depth of 8.3 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 64.4016°, -147.5173°, which is 32 km WSW of Salcha, Alaska. View all earthquakes in Alaska.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.1 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Has Alaska had earthquakes this big before?

The largest recorded earthquake in Alaska was the M9.2 Great Alaska earthquake of March 27, 1964. Today's magnitude 3.1 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: ak021e7e8fgh). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, November 5, 2021). M3.1 Earthquake 32 km WSW of Salcha, AlaskaNovember 5, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/ak021e7e8fgh/