Alaska earthquakes

M5.0 earthquake 61 km SE of Adak, Alaska

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 61 km SE of Adak, Alaska on Sat, May 16, 1987, 7:08 AM HADT (16:08 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.3 88 km SSW of Atka, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.0 (mw), moderate
Local time: Sat, May 16, 1987, 7:08 AM HADT
UTC: 1987-05-16 16:08:29 UTC
Depth: 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 51.530° N, 175.930° 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 2.0 and up: 23 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp000351v (also filed as gcmtb051687c, gcmt19870516160829, iscgem467181). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:31 PM UTC.