Magnitude 1.5 - 32 miles E of Arctic Village
October 15, 2019 03:28:19 AKDT (October 15, 2019 11:28:19 UTC)
68.0314°N 144.325°W Depth 9.9 miles (16 km)
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
- 90 miles (145 km) NE of Venetie
- 97 miles (157 km) N of Chalkyitsik
- 105 miles (170 km) N of Fort Yukon
- 127 miles (205 km) W of Old Crow
- 127 miles (205 km) SE of Pump Station #3
- 129 miles (209 km) N of Birch Creek
- 132 miles (214 km) E of Pump Station #4
- 142 miles (230 km) NE of Beaver
- 145 miles (235 km) SE of Pump Station #2
- 146 miles (236 km) S of Kaktovik
- 153 miles (248 km) N of Circle
- 240 miles (389 km) N of Fairbanks
- Magnitude type: Ml2
- Event type: earthquake
Tectonic Setting of the Brooks Range
Seismicity in the Brooks Range is characterized by intraplate earthquakes associated with mountain building and crustal reorganization. A broad earthquake band extends from northeast of the Brooks Range toward the Beaufort Sea. Earthquake source mechanisms comprise a mixture of strike-slip and normal faulting events, indicative of north-northwest compression and northeast extension. A magnitude 6.4 earthquake on August 12, 2018 located 43 miles (69 km) south of Kaktovik was the largest earthquake ever recorded north of the Brooks Range. It produced an energetic aftershock sequence that continues to this day. In 2019, a vigorous swarm sequence began in the Purcell Mountains. More than 9,000 earthquakes have been recorded as part of this swarm through the end of 2021, including five earthquakes with magnitudes larger than 5. At present, this swarm continues, though at a decreased activity level.