4.9

M4.9 Earthquake 101 km SE of Atka, AlaskaJuly 23, 2026

2026-07-23 09:30:18 UTC (2026-07-23) · approx. 9:30 PM UTC-12 local

MagnitudeM4.9(mww)
Time09:30 UTC9:30 PM UTC-12
Depth35.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates51.534°, -173.181°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On July 23, 2026 at 09:30 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 101 km SE of Atka, Alaska, at a depth of 35.0 km and coordinates 51.5339°, -173.1813°. This earthquake was detected by 116 seismic stations with good 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 51.53°, -173.18°

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 101 km SE of Atka, Alaska

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.9 mww
Depth
35.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
51.5339°N
-173.1813°E
Intensity (MMI)
3.2
light

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000t2n5
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
369
Stations Used
116
Azimuthal Gap
107.0°
Min Station Distance
0.919°
RMS Residual
0.77 sec
Last Updated
2026-09-10 09:40:25 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Atka, Alaska?

The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 101 km SE of Atka, Alaska on July 23, 2026 at 09:30 UTC had a depth of 35.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 51.5339°, -173.1813°, which is 101 km SE of Atka, 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: us7000t2n5). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, July 23, 2026). M4.9 Earthquake 101 km SE of Atka, AlaskaJuly 23, 2026. Retrieved September 10, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000t2n5/