M5.8 earthquake 161 km SSE of Atka, Alaska

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 161 km SSE of Atka, Alaska on Mon, Apr 1, 1957, 1:39 PM GMT-11 (00:39 UTC), 18 km (11 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.0 65 km SE of Atka, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.	Scale	Computed by	Notes
5.79	Mw, moment	ISC-GEM global catalog	Preferred · Final · ±0.2
6.1	Ms, surface-wave	USGS historic United States catalog	Final

The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.

Maximum observed Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) I

From the USGS event page for iscgem886305. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.8 and up: 3 in the 60 days after this one and 6 in the 30 days before it.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem886305 (also filed as ushis2208). Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 3:25 AM UTC.