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Magnitude 2.6 - 14 miles NE of Amchitka
May 24, 2023 13:11:28 AKDT (May 24, 2023 21:11:28 UTC)
51.6877°N 179.2147°E Depth 8.2 miles (13 km)
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
- 25 miles (40 km) SW of Semisopochnoi Island
- 40 miles (64 km) SE of Little Sitkin Pass
- 42 miles (68 km) SE of Davidof Island
- 51 miles (82 km) SE of Segula Peak
- 75 miles (121 km) E of Kiska Volcano
- 86 miles (139 km) W of Mt. Gareloi
- 114 miles (184 km) W of Tanaga Volcano
- 143 miles (231 km) W of Bobrof Island
- 147 miles (238 km) E of Buldir Is
- 147 miles (238 km) E of Buldir Island
- 156 miles (252 km) W of Kanaga Volcano
- Magnitude type: Ml2
- Event type: earthquake
Tectonic Setting of the Aleutian Islands
The world's largest earthquakes originate along convergent plate boundaries such as the Aleutian megathrust. Starting in 1938, a series of three great earthquakes ruptured the subduction zone along its entire length from the Alaska Peninsula to the western Aleutians with the exception of a small gap near the Shumagin Islands. The sequence began with a M8.2 earthquake southwest of Kodiak Island. A M8.6 in the Andreanof Islands followed in 1957, and the sequence concluded with the Rat Islands M8.7 in 1965. The Shumagin Gap still has not ruptured, but GPS observations suggest that little strain has built up in this region.
Another notable source of seismicity in the arc are the intermediate depth earthquakes within the subducting Pacific Plate, known as the Wadati-Benioff zone. The largest recorded earthquake of this kind was the 2014 M7.9 Little Sitkin event. Shallow earthquakes associated with volcano processes and crustal faults within the overriding North American plate occur regularly and may produce vigorous aftershock or swarm-like sequences.