Alaska earthquakes

M5.1 earthquake 33 km SE of Adak, Alaska

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 33 km SE of Adak, Alaska on Sun, Sep 8, 1996, 2:07 AM HADT (11:07 UTC), 60 km (37 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.2 85 km E of Adak, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

Map

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

Open the live map with earthquakes

The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.1 (mwc), moderate
Local time: Sun, Sep 8, 1996, 2:07 AM HADT
UTC: 1996-09-08 11:07:17 UTC
Depth: 60.0 km (37.3 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 51.676° N, 176.270° 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: Strike-slip
Nodal plane 1: Strike 312°, dip 40°, rake -177°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 221°, dip 88°, rake -50°

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.1 and up: 10 in the 60 days after this one and 12 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 usp0007pp3 (also filed as gcmtb090896e, gcmt19960908110717, ak996bky0r8k, iscgem985259). Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 12:52 AM UTC.