5.4

M5.4 Earthquake 282 km ESE of Attu Station, Alaska — July 11, 2021

2021-07-11 02:11:36 UTC (2021-07-11) · approx. 2:11 PM UTC+12 local

Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.4 (moderate).

MagnitudeM5.4(mww)
Time02:11 UTC≈ 2:11 PM UTC+12
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates52.103°, 177.156°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· green PAGER
green Alert— no significant casualties or damage expected

On July 11, 2021 at 02:11 UTC, a magnitude 5.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 282 km ESE of Attu Station, Alaska, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 52.1033°, 177.1565°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 2 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.2 km — 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 52.10°, 177.16°

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 M5.4 earthquake near 282 km ESE of Attu Station, Alaska

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.4 mww
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
52.1033°N
177.1565°E
Intensity (MMI)
4.4
moderate

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000eu9i
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
449
Azimuthal Gap
43.0°
Min Station Distance
0.849°
RMS Residual
1.24 sec
Last Updated
2025-12-22 18:01:16 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.4 earthquake near Attu Station, Alaska?

The magnitude 5.4 earthquake that struck 282 km ESE of Attu Station, Alaska on July 11, 2021 at 02:11 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 52.1033°, 177.1565°, which is 282 km ESE of Attu Station, Alaska. View all earthquakes in Alaska.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.4 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.4 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000eu9i). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, July 11, 2021). M5.4 Earthquake 282 km ESE of Attu Station, Alaska — July 11, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000eu9i/