Magnitude 7.5 - 70 miles W of Craig
January 4, 2013 23:58:14 AKST (January 5, 2013 08:58:14 UTC)
55.2280°N 134.8591°W Depth 5.4 miles (8 km)
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
- 71 miles (115 km) S of Port Alexander
- 73 miles (118 km) W of Klawock
- 80 miles (129 km) W of Hydaburg
- 91 miles (147 km) SW of Point Baker
- 96 miles (155 km) W of Thorne Bay
- 97 miles (157 km) NW of Dixon Entrance
- 99 miles (160 km) W of Kasaan
- 124 miles (201 km) W of Ward Cove
- 126 miles (204 km) S of Kake
- 127 miles (205 km) W of Ketchikan
- 127 miles (205 km) S of Sitka
- 213 miles (345 km) S of Juneau
- Magnitude type: Mw
- Event type: earthquake
Tectonic Setting of Southeast Alaska
Earthquakes in Southeast Alaska have shallow depths and are generally located along the Queen Charlotte and Fairweather faults, both of which are major transform plate boundaries. The Queen Charlotte Fault runs between the Pacific and North American plates, while the Fairweather Fault runs between the Yakutat microplate and North American Plate. The entire length of this fault system ruptured in major earthquakes over the past 90 years. The most significant event was a 1949 M8.1 earthquake that began in British Columbia and ruptured both south and north for a total of about 300 miles (483 km), crossing the border with Alaska. Other significant events in the region were the 1927 M7.1 event north of Sitka, and the 1958 M7.7 Lituya Bay, the 1972 M7.6 Sitka, and the 2013 M7.5 Craig earthquakes. The 2013 Craig Earthquake re-ruptured the northernmost part of the 1949 rupture zone.
