All earthquakesAlaska

Alaska earthquakes in 1959

16 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more were located in Alaska in 1959. The largest: M6.3 94 km SSE of Nikolski, Alaska, Dec 14, 1959.

From the USGS catalog. Times are local to each quake.

19581960

Map

Where every quake of 1959 was located in Alaska. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

Every quake of 1959

Magnitude 2.5 and up, newest first.

Month by month

Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.

MonthQuakesLargestWhere
January 195925.9176 km WSW of Nikolski, Alaska
February 195936.0233 km ESE of Atka, Alaska
March 19590
April 195915.747 km NE of Ouzinkie, Alaska
May 195926.068 km SSW of Adak, Alaska
June 19590
July 195916.1157 km ESE of Atka, Alaska
August 195925.793 km SSE of Akhiok, Alaska
September 195925.551 km ESE of Shageluk, Alaska
October 19590
November 19590
December 195936.394 km SSE of Nikolski, Alaska

What this means

The catalog is only as complete as the instruments of the time. Worldwide coverage of magnitude 5 and up dates from the 1960s, and of 4.5 from the 1990s; earlier years hold the large quakes and the ones near a station, so a low count in an early year means fewer instruments, not a quiet earth.

By year

Every year the USGS catalog covers.

Nearby

Alaska nowWorldwide in 1959

Sources

Earthquakes, magnitudes, depths, shaking estimates and felt reports from the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, read from its live feeds and its catalog back to 1900. Tsunami messages from NOAA’s tsunami warning centers.