Alaska earthquakes

M3.9 earthquake 173 km WSW of Adak, Alaska

A magnitude 3.9 earthquake struck 173 km WSW of Adak, Alaska on Tue, May 23, 1978, 10:19 PM GMT-10 (08:19 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.9 194 km W of Adak, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
3.9 (mb, body-wave), minor
Magnitude from
USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Local time
UTC
1978-05-24 08:19:25 UTC
Depth
33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
51.159° N, 178.858° W
Region
Alaska
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Depth from
OPERATOR_ASSIGNED
Stations used
11

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 15 in the 60 days after this one and 8 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 4.8191 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 23 km away
  2. 4.3178 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 29 km away
  3. 4.2199 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 45 km away
  4. 5.4196 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 24 km away
  5. 4.1201 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 39 km away
  6. 3.9174 km W of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 66 km away
  7. 4.8198 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 51 km away
  8. 4.2201 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 30 km away
  9. 4.5197 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 32 km away
  10. 5.9194 km W of Adak, Alaska · 17634 days ago · 33 km deep · 63 km away
  11. 4.6173 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17633 days ago · 66 km deep · 15 km away
  12. 4.9176 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17618 days ago · 67 km deep · 14 km away
  13. 4.4156 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17614 days ago · 56 km deep · 49 km away
  14. 3.9159 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17606 days ago · 68 km deep · 17 km away
  15. 4.9124 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17605 days ago · 54 km deep · 50 km away

Before

  1. 4.5185 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 26 km away
  2. 4.3176 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 51 km away
  3. 4.2196 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 30 km away
  4. 4.9194 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 31 km away
  5. 4.5206 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 36 km away
  6. 4.5199 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 53 km away
  7. 5.0187 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 33 km deep · 15 km away
  8. 6.7192 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 17663 days ago · 25 km deep · 26 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000uq9. Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 5:09 PM UTC.