M5.2 Earthquake 78 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska — September 2, 2026
2026-09-02 12:32:01 UTC (2 hours ago) · approx. 1:32 AM UTC-11 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.3 mainshock.
On September 2, 2026 at 12:32 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 78 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska, at a depth of 35.0 km and coordinates 52.3538°, -169.4988°. The earthquake was reported felt by 1 personacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 2.9 (weak). This earthquake was detected by 88 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.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.3 mainshock that occurred 1 day ago 89 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 37 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
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
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.
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.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-169.4988°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Nikolski, Alaska?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 78 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska on September 2, 2026 at 12:32 UTC had a depth of 35.0 km. It was felt by 1 person with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 2.9 (weak). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 52.3538°, -169.4988°, which is 78 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.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.3 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 5.2 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.3 mainshock that occurred earlier 89 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
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: us7000tdmm). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, September 2, 2026). M5.2 Earthquake 78 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska — September 2, 2026. Retrieved September 2, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000tdmm/