M4.5 earthquake 61 km W of Adak, Alaska

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 61 km W of Adak, Alaska on Tue, Dec 10, 1996, 7:22 AM HAST (17:22 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.7 117 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.

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.	Scale	Computed by	Notes
4.5	mb, body-wave	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Preferred · Reviewed · 15 stations
4.5	mb, body-wave	Alaska Earthquake Center	Preliminary

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 27 in the 60 days after this one and 4 in the 30 days before it.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0007u7v (also filed as ak996fuunwck). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 6:00 AM UTC.