Magnitude 1.9 - 40 miles NW of Chalkyitsik
May 21, 2023 21:33:05 AKDT (May 22, 2023 05:33:05 UTC)
67.1179°N 144.611°W Depth 6.7 miles (10 km)
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
- 43 miles (69 km) NE of Fort Yukon
- 49 miles (79 km) E of Venetie
- 68 miles (110 km) NE of Birch Creek
- 74 miles (119 km) S of Arctic Village
- 91 miles (147 km) N of Circle
- 92 miles (149 km) NE of Beaver
- 107 miles (173 km) N of Central
- 133 miles (215 km) W of Old Crow
- 145 miles (235 km) NE of Stevens Village
- 148 miles (239 km) E of Wiseman
- 150 miles (243 km) E of Coldfoot
- 180 miles (291 km) NE of Fairbanks
- 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.
