5.0

M5.0 Earthquake 82 km SSE of Nikolski, AlaskaApril 28, 2025

2025-04-28 02:34:58 UTC (2025-04-28) · approx. 3:34 PM UTC-11 local

MagnitudeM5.0(mww)
Time02:34 UTC3:34 PM UTC-11
Depth10.8 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates52.228°, -168.513°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On April 28, 2025 at 02:34 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 82 km SSE of Nikolski, Alaska, at a depth of 10.8 km and coordinates 52.2281°, -168.5126°. This earthquake was detected by 287 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 385, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 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 52.23°, -168.51°

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 M5.0 earthquake near 82 km SSE of Nikolski, Alaska

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.0 mww
Depth
10.8 km
shallow crustal
Location
52.2281°N
-168.5126°E
Intensity (MMI)
2.8
weak

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000pvhf
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
385
Stations Used
287
Azimuthal Gap
122.0°
Min Station Distance
0.774°
RMS Residual
0.61 sec
Last Updated
2026-04-28 02:45:02 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Nikolski, Alaska?

The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 82 km SSE of Nikolski, Alaska on April 28, 2025 at 02:34 UTC had a depth of 10.8 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 52.2281°, -168.5126°, which is 82 km SSE of Nikolski, Alaska. View all earthquakes in Alaska.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 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 5.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000pvhf). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, April 28, 2025). M5.0 Earthquake 82 km SSE of Nikolski, AlaskaApril 28, 2025. Retrieved April 28, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000pvhf/