M3.8 Earthquake near Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska — October 13, 2021
2021-10-13 21:27:21 UTC (2021-10-13) · approx. 10:27 AM UTC-11 local
On October 13, 2021 at 21:27 UTC, a magnitude 3.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck near Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, at a depth of 35.0 km and coordinates 52.1512°, -169.3478°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 7.6 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 252 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.0 mainshock that occurred 16 days ago 63 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 25 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
Earthquake Details
-169.3478°E
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.8 earthquake near Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska?
The magnitude 3.8 earthquake that struck near Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska on October 13, 2021 at 21:27 UTC had a depth of 35.0 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 3.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.0 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 3.8 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.0 mainshock that occurred earlier 63 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 3.8 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000fudc). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, October 13, 2021). M3.8 Earthquake near Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska — October 13, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000fudc/