Magnitude 3.4 - 51 miles S of Kaktovik
March 21, 2026 21:35:56 AKDT (March 22, 2026 05:35:56 UTC)
69.4064°N 144.0922°W Depth 3.1 miles (5 km)
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
- 96 miles (155 km) N of Arctic Village
- 108 miles (175 km) E of Pump Station #2
- 117 miles (189 km) SE of Deadhorse
- 117 miles (189 km) SE of Prudhoe Bay
- 123 miles (199 km) SE of Pump Station #1
- 123 miles (199 km) E of Pump Station #3
- 148 miles (239 km) NE of Pump Station #4
- 174 miles (282 km) NW of Old Crow
- 176 miles (285 km) N of Venetie
- 190 miles (308 km) N of Chalkyitsik
- 196 miles (317 km) E of Umiat
- 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.
