5.2

M5.2 Earthquake 132 km SE of Akutan, AlaskaMay 23, 2025

2025-05-23 02:30:40 UTC (2025-05-23) · approx. 3:30 PM UTC-11 local

MagnitudeM5.2(mww)
Time02:30 UTC3:30 PM UTC-11
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates53.266°, -164.410°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On May 23, 2025 at 02:30 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 132 km SE of Akutan, Alaska, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 53.2659°, -164.4101°. This earthquake was detected by 115 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 416, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 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 53.27°, -164.41°

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 M5.2 earthquake near 132 km SE of Akutan, Alaska

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.2 mww
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
53.2659°N
-164.4101°E
Intensity (MMI)
2.7
weak

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000q103
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
416
Stations Used
115
Azimuthal Gap
142.0°
Min Station Distance
1.141°
RMS Residual
0.86 sec
Last Updated
2026-05-23 02:40:51 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Akutan, Alaska?

The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 132 km SE of Akutan, Alaska on May 23, 2025 at 02:30 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 53.2659°, -164.4101°, which is 132 km SE of Akutan, Alaska. View all earthquakes in Alaska.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 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 5.2 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000q103). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, May 23, 2025). M5.2 Earthquake 132 km SE of Akutan, AlaskaMay 23, 2025. Retrieved May 23, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000q103/