Earthquake near Tok, AK

USGS: 5 km S of Tok, Alaska

2:59 am AKDT, May 31, 2020 · 2020-05-31 10:59 UTC · 0.7 km deep · released about 43 lb of TNT

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Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.

When: 2:59 am AKDT on 31 May 2020 (2020-05-31 10:59 UTC)
Where: 5 km (3 mi) S of Tok, AK · earthquakes near Tok
Magnitude: M 2.1 (ml)
Depth: 0.7 km below the surface
Felt: 3 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest: Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, 65 km N
Nearest mapped fault: Cathedral Rapids faults (Northern Foothills fold and thrust belt), 14 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS 1516 days ago · we first saw it 1516 days ago

A magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 5 km (3 mi) S of Tok, AK, at 2:59 am AKDT on 31 May 2020 (10:59 UTC). 3 people have reported feeling it to USGS. This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 43 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 350,000× the energy of this one
Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 250,000× the energy of this one
Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 22× the energy of this one
This earthquake M 2.1 about 43 lb of TNT

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log₁₀E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Map loads when it scrolls into view

Epicentre 63.2899, -142.9794. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

Place	Distance	Direction from the epicentre
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK	65 km (40 mi)	N	earthquakes near Southeast Fairbanks Census Area

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

34 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

1.4 20 km S of Tok, Alaska 02:16 UTC
1.5 19 km S of Tok, Alaska 14:31 UTC
1.5 19 km W of Tetlin, Alaska 14:31 UTC
2.0 29 km SW of Tetlin, Alaska 16:37 UTC
2.1 29 km SW of Tetlin, Alaska 20:58 UTC
1.8 19 km W of Tetlin, Alaska 19:31 UTC
1.6 10 km NW of Tetlin, Alaska 22:31 UTC
1.9 12 km NW of Tetlin, Alaska 01:59 UTC
1.9 13 km NW of Tetlin, Alaska 01:58 UTC
1.7 9 km NW of Tetlin, Alaska 01:57 UTC
1.6 18 km S of Tok, Alaska 01:55 UTC
1.5 17 km SSE of Tok, Alaska 02:45 UTC
2.0 20 km W of Tetlin, Alaska 04:02 UTC
1.6 17 km SSE of Tok, Alaska 23:27 UTC
1.6 20 km S of Tok, Alaska 17:45 UTC

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of 02:07 UTC. QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.