Magnitude 5.4 Earthquake Shakes Southcentral Alaska

An earthquake was felt throughout the Kenai Peninsula and south-central Alaska on Thursday morning. The event occurred at 9:33 AM AKDT at a shallow depth of 14.6 miles (23 km) and has been reviewed by a seismologist.

The epicenter was located approximately 46 miles east of Homer, 56 miles east of Anchor Point, and 110 miles south of Anchorage.

This event highlights the complex tectonic setting of southern Alaska, a region with several sources of seismic activity. The most powerful earthquakes, including the M9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964, are generated by the megathrust fault where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate.

Intermediate-depth seismicity occurs deeper within the descending Pacific Plate, a feature known as the Wadati-Benioff Zone. This zone was the source of the widely felt M7.1 Iniskin earthquake in 2016 and the damaging M7.1 Anchorage earthquake in 2018.

Shallow crustal earthquakes are also common, originating from faults within the Cook Inlet basin, the Castle Mountain Fault system, and a wide band of diffuse seismicity extending toward the Denali Fault. These structures have produced significant historical events, including a damaging M6.9 earthquake in 1933 and a M7.0 earthquake in 1943.



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