Magnitude 4.3 - 43 miles S of Kaktovik
September 15, 2026 01:51:38 AKDT (September 15, 2026 09:51:38 UTC)
69.5421°N 144.2297°W Depth 4.3 miles (6 km)
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
- 103 miles (167 km) N of Arctic Village
- 105 miles (170 km) E of Pump Station #2
- 109 miles (176 km) E of Deadhorse
- 109 miles (176 km) SE of Prudhoe Bay
- 115 miles (186 km) SE of Pump Station #1
- 123 miles (199 km) NE of Pump Station #3
- 149 miles (241 km) NE of Pump Station #4
- 183 miles (296 km) NW of Old Crow
- 184 miles (298 km) N of Venetie
- 192 miles (311 km) E of Umiat
- 200 miles (324 km) N of Chalkyitsik
- 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.
