Magnitude 1.5 - 59 miles NW of Ambler
May 16, 2023 16:20:18 AKDT (May 17, 2023 00:20:18 UTC)
67.8110°N 159.0249°W Depth 4.3 miles (6 km)
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
- 69 miles (111 km) NE of Kiana
- 81 miles (131 km) NW of Shungnak
- 85 miles (137 km) NW of Kobuk
- 86 miles (139 km) NE of Noorvik
- 88 miles (142 km) N of Selawik
- 101 miles (163 km) E of Red Dog Mine site
- 105 miles (170 km) E of Noatak
- 114 miles (184 km) NE of Kotzebue
- 144 miles (233 km) E of Kivalina
- 146 miles (236 km) N of Buckland
- 156 miles (252 km) NE of Deering
- 290 miles (470 km) NE of Nome
- 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.
