Magnitude 3.2 - 36 miles SW of Sitka
January 12, 2023 15:36:56 AKST (January 13, 2023 00:36:56 UTC)
56.6653°N 135.9444°W Depth 9.9 miles (16 km)
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
- 58 miles (94 km) NW of Port Alexander
- 77 miles (124 km) SW of Angoon
- 79 miles (128 km) W of Kake
- 81 miles (131 km) S of Tenakee Springs
- 90 miles (145 km) S of Pelican
- 91 miles (147 km) W of Point Baker
- 101 miles (163 km) S of Hoonah
- 106 miles (171 km) S of Elfin Cove
- 114 miles (184 km) W of Petersburg
- 121 miles (196 km) S of Gustavus
- 125 miles (202 km) SW of Douglas
- 126 miles (204 km) SW of Juneau
- 190 miles (308 km) NW of Ketchikan
- 242 miles (392 km) SE of Yakutat
- Magnitude type: Ml2
- Event type: earthquake
Tectonic Setting of Southeast Alaska
Earthquakes in Southeast Alaska have shallow depths and are generally located along the Queen Charlotte and Fairweather faults, both of which are major transform plate boundaries. The Queen Charlotte Fault runs between the Pacific and North American plates, while the Fairweather Fault runs between the Yakutat microplate and North American Plate. The entire length of this fault system ruptured in major earthquakes over the past 90 years. The most significant event was a 1949 M8.1 earthquake that began in British Columbia and ruptured both south and north for a total of about 300 miles (483 km), crossing the border with Alaska. Other significant events in the region were the 1927 M7.1 event north of Sitka, and the 1958 M7.7 Lituya Bay, the 1972 M7.6 Sitka, and the 2013 M7.5 Craig earthquakes. The 2013 Craig Earthquake re-ruptured the northernmost part of the 1949 rupture zone.