Magnitude 1.7 - 39 miles S of Kaktovik
May 15, 2023 15:05:48 AKDT (May 15, 2023 23:05:48 UTC)
69.5662°N 143.6563°W Depth 12.3 miles (19 km)
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
- 110 miles (178 km) NE of Arctic Village
- 119 miles (192 km) E of Pump Station #2
- 121 miles (196 km) E of Deadhorse
- 121 miles (196 km) E of Prudhoe Bay
- 127 miles (205 km) E of Pump Station #1
- 136 miles (220 km) NE of Pump Station #3
- 162 miles (262 km) NE of Pump Station #4
- 176 miles (285 km) NW of Old Crow
- 190 miles (308 km) N of Venetie
- 201 miles (325 km) N of Chalkyitsik
- 206 miles (334 km) E of Umiat
- Magnitude type: Ml
- 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.
