Magnitude 1.7 - 72 miles N of Arctic Village
October 9, 2019 11:27:37 AKDT (October 9, 2019 19:27:37 UTC)
69.1118°N 144.6545°W Depth 3.7 miles (5 km)
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
- 74 miles (119 km) S of Kaktovik
- 98 miles (158 km) E of Pump Station #2
- 105 miles (170 km) E of Pump Station #3
- 117 miles (189 km) SE of Deadhorse
- 118 miles (191 km) SE of Prudhoe Bay
- 124 miles (201 km) SE of Pump Station #1
- 127 miles (205 km) NE of Pump Station #4
- 152 miles (246 km) N of Venetie
- 170 miles (275 km) NW of Old Crow
- 172 miles (278 km) N of Chalkyitsik
- 177 miles (286 km) N of Fort Yukon
- 307 miles (497 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.