Magnitude 1.2 - 82 miles N of Ambler
May 19, 2023 11:29:23 AKDT (May 19, 2023 19:29:23 UTC)
68.2194°N 158.7072°W Depth 3.6 miles (5 km)
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
- 97 miles (157 km) NE of Kiana
- 101 miles (163 km) NW of Shungnak
- 103 miles (167 km) NW of Kobuk
- 107 miles (173 km) E of Red Dog Mine site
- 113 miles (183 km) NE of Noorvik
- 117 miles (189 km) N of Selawik
- 119 miles (192 km) NE of Noatak
- 137 miles (222 km) NE of Kotzebue
- 151 miles (244 km) SE of Point Lay
- 155 miles (251 km) E of Kivalina
- 170 miles (275 km) S of Wainwright
- 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.