M5.4 Earthquake 71 km WNW of Nikolski, Alaska — May 13, 2023
2023-05-13 20:19:47 UTC (2023-05-13) · approx. 9:19 AM UTC-11 local
On May 13, 2023 at 20:19 UTC, a magnitude 5.4 intermediate depth earthquake struck 71 km WNW of Nikolski, Alaska, at a depth of 112.0 km and coordinates 53.2315°, -169.8065°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 71 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 449, placing it among routine seismic activity.
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
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.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Earthquake Details
-169.8065°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.4 earthquake near Nikolski, Alaska?
The magnitude 5.4 earthquake that struck 71 km WNW of Nikolski, Alaska on May 13, 2023 at 20:19 UTC had a depth of 112.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 53.2315°, -169.8065°, which is 71 km WNW of Nikolski, 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: us6000kbqn). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, May 13, 2023). M5.4 Earthquake 71 km WNW of Nikolski, Alaska — May 13, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000kbqn/