Magnitude 2.2 - 37 miles S of Cordova
November 16, 2023 14:59:10 AKST (November 16, 2023 23:59:10 UTC)
60.0221°N 145.5104°W Depth 9.1 miles (14 km)
This event has not been reviewed by a seismologist
- 48 miles (77 km) NE of Middleton Island
- 70 miles (113 km) SE of Tatitlek
- 80 miles (129 km) S of Thompson Pass
- 81 miles (131 km) S of Valdez
- 86 miles (139 km) E of Chenega Bay
- 101 miles (163 km) S of Pump Station #12
- 106 miles (171 km) W of Cape Yakataga
- 109 miles (176 km) S of Chitina
- 120 miles (194 km) SE of Whittier
- 131 miles (212 km) SW of McCarthy
- 133 miles (215 km) W of Icy Bay
- 170 miles (275 km) SE of Anchorage
- 204 miles (330 km) W of Yakutat
- 290 miles (470 km) NE of Kodiak
- 410 miles (664 km) W of Juneau
- Magnitude type: Ml2
- Event type: earthquake
Tectonic Setting of Southern Alaska
Earthquakes in Southcentral Alaska are produced by a number of different tectonic features. (1) The strongest earthquakes in Southcentral Alaska are generated by the megathrust fault that marks the contact zone between the subducting Pacific and overriding North American plates. The 1964 M9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake, which is still the second largest earthquake ever recorded worldwide, originated under Prince William Sound. (2) Intermediate-depth seismicity (below 20 miles/32 km) occurs in the Wadati-Benioff Zone, where the subducting Pacific Plate descends towards the mantle beneath the North American Plate. This zone extends along the Aleutian Arc, Alaska Peninsula, and Cook Inlet and terminates beneath the northern foothills of the Alaska Range. In southern and central Alaska, this seismicity abates at a depth of approximately 140 miles (225 km), reflecting the down-dip extension of the Pacific Plate. The 2016 M7.1 Iniskin and the 2018 M7.1 Anchorage earthquakes are the most recent notable intermediate-depth events. Both produced significant ground shaking in the Southcentral region and resulted in structural damage to buildings and infrastructure. (3) Crustal seismicity in this region can be attributed to three major sources: the faults and folds of the Cook Inlet basin, the Castle Mountain Fault, and the wide band of diffuse seismicity extending from northern Cook Inlet to the Denali Fault. Mapped geological structures in upper Cook Inlet are capable of generating strong earthquakes. The April 1933 M6.9 earthquake, which caused considerable damage in Anchorage, appears to have occurred on such a structure. The Castle Mountain Fault, which passes 25 miles (40 km) north of Anchorage, exhibits geological evidence of Holocene offsets and generated the 1984 M5.6 Sutton Earthquake. The diffuse zone of seismicity between Cook Inlet and the Denali Fault may mark a deformation zone between the Bering microplate to the west and the southern Alaska block to the east. This broad zone of seismicity includes a series of predominantly thrust faults, and a 1943 M7.0 earthquake may have originated in this band.