M4.5 Earthquake 23 km W of Dutch Harbor, Alaska — June 15, 2020
2020-06-15 21:16:49 UTC (2020-06-15) · approx. 10:16 AM UTC-11 local
Felt by 12 people across nearby locations.
On June 15, 2020 at 21:16 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 23 km W of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, at a depth of 11.4 km and coordinates 53.9186°, -166.8977°.
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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 12 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-166.8977°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Dutch Harbor, Alaska?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 23 km W of Dutch Harbor, Alaska on June 15, 2020 at 21:16 UTC had a depth of 11.4 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 53.9186°, -166.8977°, which is 23 km W of Dutch 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: us6000acg7). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, June 15, 2020). M4.5 Earthquake 23 km W of Dutch Harbor, Alaska — June 15, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000acg7/