Magnitude 1.5 - 31 miles S of Shungnak
April 16, 2021 01:08:59 AKDT (April 16, 2021 09:08:59 UTC)
66.4518°N 157.454°W Depth 5.0 miles (8 km)
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
- 35 miles (56 km) SW of Kobuk
- 45 miles (72 km) S of Ambler
- 60 miles (97 km) NW of Huslia
- 71 miles (115 km) E of Selawik
- 86 miles (139 km) NE of Buckland
- 89 miles (144 km) SE of Kiana
- 93 miles (150 km) W of Hughes
- 101 miles (163 km) E of Noorvik
- 109 miles (176 km) N of Koyukuk
- 120 miles (194 km) N of Galena
- 121 miles (196 km) N of Nulato
- 265 miles (429 km) NE of Nome
- 299 miles (484 km) NW 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.