M4.7 earthquake 62 km WSW of Adak, Alaska

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck 62 km WSW of Adak, Alaska on Thu, Dec 12, 1996, 8:23 PM HAST (06:23 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
4.7	mb, body-wave	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Preferred · Reviewed · 16 stations
4.7	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 1.7 and up: 10 in the 60 days after this one and 20 in the 30 days before it.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0007uc6 (also filed as ak996fzmqb20). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 7:58 PM UTC.