Magnitude 4.8 - 58 miles NW of Burwash Landing
May 8, 2021 18:03:45 AKDT (May 9, 2021 02:03:45 UTC)
61.5390°N 140.5402°W Depth 0.2 miles (0 km)
No reports of this event being felt have been received at this time.
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
- 68 miles (110 km) SE of Chisana
- 79 miles (128 km) E of McCarthy
- 99 miles (160 km) SE of Nabesna
- 108 miles (175 km) SE of Northway
- 114 miles (184 km) NW of Haines Junction
- 116 miles (188 km) N of Icy Bay
- 118 miles (191 km) E of Mt. Wrangell
- 120 miles (194 km) NE of Cape Yakataga
- 127 miles (205 km) SE of Tetlin
- 128 miles (207 km) E of Chitina
- 137 miles (222 km) SE of Slana
- 141 miles (228 km) N of Yakutat
- 308 miles (499 km) NW of Juneau
- 310 miles (502 km) E of Anchorage
- Magnitude type: Ml2
- Event type: earthquake
Tectonic Setting of the Denali Fault
The Denali Fault is a major intracontinental right-lateral strike-slip fault that partially accommodates the oblique collision of the Yakutat block into Alaska's margin, extending from northwestern British Columbia to the central and western regions of Alaska. The largest earthquake recorded on the Denali Fault was a M7.9 on November 3, 2002. Its rupture extended for nearly 270 miles (435 km) along the central Denali Fault system. This event was preceded by the M6.7 Nenana Mountain Earthquake on October 23, which ruptured 25 miles (40 km) of the Denali Fault west of the M7.9 event. It is typical behavior of these major right-lateral faults in the Interior to produce very low background levels of seismicity between large ruptures hundreds of years apart that are followed by multi-year aftershock sequences. Another notable feature associated with the Denali Fault system is the Kantishna seismic cluster, located just north of the main fault trace inside Denali National Park. This cluster produces tens of small, shallow earthquakes every day. The largest known earthquakes in this cluster are on the order of magnitude 5, but those are rare. This cluster is believed to accommodate deformation between the Denali Fault and the Minto Flats Seismic Zone to the north.