4.5

M4.5 Earthquake 105 km SSE of Old Harbor, AlaskaSeptember 9, 2022

2022-09-09 23:08:24 UTC (2022-09-09) · approx. 1:08 PM UTC-10 local

MagnitudeM4.5(mwr)
Time23:08 UTC1:08 PM UTC-10
Depth24.7 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates56.322°, -152.676°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On September 9, 2022 at 23:08 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 105 km SSE of Old Harbor, Alaska, at a depth of 24.7 km and coordinates 56.3223°, -152.6762°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 767 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 56.32°, -152.68°

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 M4.5 earthquake near 105 km SSE of Old Harbor, Alaska

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.5 mwr
Depth
24.7 km
shallow crustal
Location
56.3223°N
-152.6762°E
Intensity (MMI)
1.3
weak

Technical Information

Event ID
ak022bl566ot
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
312
RMS Residual
0.59 sec
Last Updated
2022-11-15 19:05:54 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Old Harbor, Alaska?

The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 105 km SSE of Old Harbor, Alaska on September 9, 2022 at 23:08 UTC had a depth of 24.7 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 56.3223°, -152.6762°, which is 105 km SSE of Old Harbor, Alaska. View all earthquakes in Alaska.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.5 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 4.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: ak022bl566ot). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, September 9, 2022). M4.5 Earthquake 105 km SSE of Old Harbor, AlaskaSeptember 9, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/ak022bl566ot/