Alaska earthquakes

M5.1 earthquake 131 km WSW of Adak, Alaska

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 131 km WSW of Adak, Alaska on Fri, Sep 13, 1996, 4:41 AM HADT (13:41 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.2 142 km WSW of Adak, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.1 (mwc), moderate
Local time: Fri, Sep 13, 1996, 4:41 AM HADT
UTC: 1996-09-13 13:41:12 UTC
Depth: 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 51.547° N, 178.458° 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 267°, dip 21°, rake 119°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 56°, dip 72°, rake 80°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Depth from: OPERATOR_ASSIGNED

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.1 and up: 9 in the 60 days after this one and 7 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 usp0007pwp (also filed as gcmtb091396e, gcmt19960913134112, ak996bt93n0c, iscgem986229). Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 12:52 AM UTC.