5.2

M5.2 Earthquake 107 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska — September 3, 2026

2026-09-03 11:24:50 UTC (2026-09-03) · approx. 12:24 AM UTC-11 local

MagnitudeM5.2(mb)
Time11:24 UTC≈ 12:24 AM UTC-11
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates52.005°, -169.237°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On September 3, 2026 at 11:24 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 107 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 52.0046°, -169.2374°. This earthquake was detected by 70 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 52.00°, -169.24°

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 107 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.2 mb
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
52.0046°N
-169.2374°E
Intensity (MMI)
3.0
weak

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000tdy7
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
416
Stations Used
70
Azimuthal Gap
111.0°
Min Station Distance
0.838°
RMS Residual
1.30 sec
Last Updated
2026-10-15 13:20:01 UTC

Common Questions

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

The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 107 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska on September 3, 2026 at 11:24 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 52.0046°, -169.2374°, which is 107 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: us7000tdy7). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, September 3, 2026). M5.2 Earthquake 107 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska — September 3, 2026. Retrieved October 15, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000tdy7/