5.2

M5.2 Earthquake 92 km SSW of Nikolski, AlaskaSeptember 4, 2025

2025-09-04 19:54:26 UTC (2025-09-04) · approx. 8:54 AM UTC-11 local

Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM5.2(mww)
Time19:54 UTC8:54 AM UTC-11
Depth35.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates52.186°, -169.430°
Felt by1DYFI response· max MMI 2.6
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· Tsunami evaluation
Tsunami Warning Issued

On September 4, 2025 at 19:54 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 92 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska, at a depth of 35.0 km and coordinates 52.1859°, -169.4297°. The earthquake was reported felt by 1 personacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 2.6 (weak). This earthquake was detected by 103 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 52.19°, -169.43°

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 92 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska

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

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M5.2 earthquake near 92 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.2 mww
Depth
35.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
52.1859°N
-169.4297°E
Felt Reports
1
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
2.6
weak
Community Intensity
2.5
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000qtwh
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
416
Stations Used
103
Azimuthal Gap
142.0°
Min Station Distance
0.628°
RMS Residual
0.88 sec
Last Updated
2025-11-30 23:39:57 UTC

Common Questions

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

The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 92 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska on September 4, 2025 at 19:54 UTC had a depth of 35.0 km. It was felt by 1 person with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 2.6 (weak). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 52.1859°, -169.4297°, which is 92 km SSW of Nikolski, 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: us7000qtwh). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, September 4, 2025). M5.2 Earthquake 92 km SSW of Nikolski, AlaskaSeptember 4, 2025. Retrieved November 30, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000qtwh/