Magnitude 1.8 - 51 miles SW of Kaktovik
April 22, 2019 00:10:16 AKDT (April 22, 2019 08:10:16 UTC)
69.5724°N 145.042°W Depth 1.5 miles (2 km)
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
- 85 miles (137 km) E of Pump Station #2
- 91 miles (147 km) SE of Deadhorse
- 91 miles (147 km) SE of Prudhoe Bay
- 97 miles (157 km) SE of Pump Station #1
- 101 miles (163 km) N of Arctic Village
- 106 miles (171 km) NE of Pump Station #3
- 133 miles (215 km) NE of Pump Station #4
- 172 miles (278 km) E of Umiat
- 181 miles (293 km) N of Venetie
- 194 miles (314 km) NE of Anaktuvuk Pass
- 197 miles (319 km) NE of Wiseman
- 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.