4.9

M4.9 Earthquake 30 km NNE of Attu Station, AlaskaJanuary 31, 2025

2025-01-31 23:19:31 UTC (2025-01-31) · approx. 11:19 AM UTC+12 local

Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.5 (moderate).

MagnitudeM4.9(mb)
Time23:19 UTC11:19 AM UTC+12
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates53.091°, 173.393°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On January 31, 2025 at 23:19 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 30 km NNE of Attu Station, Alaska, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 53.0906°, 173.3935°. This earthquake was detected by 115 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 369, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 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 53.09°, 173.39°

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 M4.9 earthquake near 30 km NNE of Attu Station, Alaska

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.9 mb
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
53.0906°N
173.3935°E
Intensity (MMI)
4.5
moderate

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000pai0
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
369
Stations Used
115
Azimuthal Gap
85.0°
Min Station Distance
0.560°
RMS Residual
1.05 sec
Last Updated
2025-04-15 20:55:26 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Attu Station, Alaska?

The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 30 km NNE of Attu Station, Alaska on January 31, 2025 at 23:19 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 53.0906°, 173.3935°, which is 30 km NNE of Attu Station, Alaska. View all earthquakes in Alaska.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 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 4.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000pai0). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, January 31, 2025). M4.9 Earthquake 30 km NNE of Attu Station, AlaskaJanuary 31, 2025. Retrieved April 15, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000pai0/