4.6

M4.6 Earthquake 248 km WSW of Adak, AlaskaApril 24, 2024

2024-04-24 21:26:06 UTC (2024-04-24) · approx. 9:26 AM UTC+12 local

MagnitudeM4.6(mb)
Time21:26 UTC9:26 AM UTC+12
Depth35.9 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates51.240°, 179.930°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On April 24, 2024 at 21:26 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 248 km WSW of Adak, Alaska, at a depth of 35.9 km and coordinates 51.2401°, 179.9298°. This earthquake was detected by 182 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 326, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 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 51.24°, 179.93°

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 M4.6 earthquake near 248 km WSW of Adak, Alaska

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.6 mb
Depth
35.9 km
shallow crustal
Location
51.2401°N
179.9298°E
Intensity (MMI)
3.2
light

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000mtk8
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
326
Stations Used
182
Azimuthal Gap
139.0°
Min Station Distance
0.418°
RMS Residual
0.63 sec
Last Updated
2024-07-02 22:12:26 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Adak, Alaska?

The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck 248 km WSW of Adak, Alaska on April 24, 2024 at 21:26 UTC had a depth of 35.9 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 51.2401°, 179.9298°, which is 248 km WSW of Adak, Alaska. View all earthquakes in Alaska.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 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 4.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000mtk8). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, April 24, 2024). M4.6 Earthquake 248 km WSW of Adak, AlaskaApril 24, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000mtk8/