Alaska earthquakes

M5.9 earthquake 81 km S of Atka, Alaska

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 81 km S of Atka, Alaska on Fri, May 9, 1986, 10:04 AM HADT (19:04 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.4 37 km WNW of Atka, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.9 (mw), moderate
Local time: Fri, May 9, 1986, 10:04 AM HADT
UTC: 1986-05-09 19:04:28 UTC
Depth: 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 51.460° N, 174.243° 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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 108 in the 60 days after this one and 91 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 108.

Before

Earthquakes today Alaska earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0002ttz (also filed as gcmtb050986b, ushis3944, gcmt19860509190428, iscgem495213). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:45 PM UTC.