Alaska earthquakes

M5.5 earthquake 117 km WSW of Adak, Alaska

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 117 km WSW of Adak, Alaska on Sat, Aug 31, 1996, 11:47 AM HADT (20:47 UTC), 44 km (27 mi) below the surface.

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.5 (mwc), moderate
Local time: Sat, Aug 31, 1996, 11:47 AM HADT
UTC: 1996-08-31 20:47:21 UTC
Depth: 43.7 km (27.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 51.493° N, 178.218° 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.

Fault motion and ground failure

How the rock slipped, from the moment tensor, and the USGS estimate of landslides and liquefaction.

Faulting: Reverse (thrust)
Nodal plane 1: Strike 350°, dip 33°, rake 60°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 205°, dip 62°, rake 108°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Depth from: CONSTRAINED_BY_DEPTH_PHASES

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 11 in the 60 days after this one and 13 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Alaska earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0007p9e (also filed as choy19960831204721, gcmtb083196e, gcmt19960831204721, ak996b7vbh0h, iscgem983748). Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 2:08 AM UTC.