Magnitude 3.5 - 42 miles S of Kaktovik
March 8, 2026 04:14:52 AKDT (March 8, 2026 12:14:52 UTC)
69.5256°N 143.4252°W Depth 9.3 miles (15 km)
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
- 110 miles (178 km) NE of Arctic Village
- 124 miles (201 km) E of Pump Station #2
- 127 miles (205 km) E of Deadhorse
- 127 miles (205 km) E of Prudhoe Bay
- 133 miles (215 km) E of Pump Station #1
- 141 miles (228 km) E of Pump Station #3
- 166 miles (269 km) NE of Pump Station #4
- 170 miles (275 km) NW of Old Crow
- 190 miles (308 km) N of Venetie
- 199 miles (322 km) N of Chalkyitsik
- 210 miles (340 km) N of Fort Yukon
- Magnitude type: ML
- Event type: N/A
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.
