QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 4.2mb

Earthquake near King Cove, AK

No earthquake was likely felt in King Cove in the 24 hours to 10:05 am AKST (19:05 UTC). The last one was M 5.0, 171 km (106 mi) SSW, at 12:14 pm AKDT on 29 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near King Cove

This page: a magnitude 4.2 earthquake was recorded 22 km (14 mi) east of King Cove, AK, at 11:03 pm AKDT on 23 May 2016 (07:03 UTC), 111 km deep.

USGS: Alaska Peninsula

11:03 pm AKDT, May 23, 2016 · · 111 km deep · released about 30 tons of TNT

Every earthquake near King Cove Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Aleutians East Borough 22 km
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
11:03 pm AKDT on 23 May 2016 ()
Where
22 km (14 mi) east of King Cove, AK · earthquakes near King Cove
Magnitude
M 4.2 (mb)
Depth
111 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Aleutians East Borough, 22 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1200 days ago

This was a light earthquake. It is usually felt clearly nearby and can rattle windows and dishes, but damage is uncommon.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 22 km (14 mi) from the epicentre. In King Cove, 22 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

Likely felt in: King Cove 22 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 30 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 5,600× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 250× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 180× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 4.2 about 30 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 63× more

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.

Where

Epicentre 55.0481, -161.9662. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Aleutians East Borough, AK 22 km (14 mi) N earthquakes near Aleutians East Borough

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 44 km SE of King Cove, Alaska
  2. 2.0 46 km SSE of King Cove, Alaska
  3. 2.3 39 km S of King Cove, Alaska
  4. 1.8 52 km SSE of King Cove, Alaska
  5. 2.4 28 km NNE of King Cove, Alaska
  6. 2.1 53 km E of King Cove, Alaska
  7. 3.6 48 km ESE of King Cove, Alaska
  8. 3.4 59 km NE of King Cove, Alaska
  9. 2.4 46 km SE of King Cove, Alaska
  10. 1.9 66 km SE of King Cove, Alaska
  11. 2.0 32 km E of King Cove, Alaska
  12. 3.1 22 km SSE of King Cove, Alaska
  13. 2.4 35 km SSW of King Cove, Alaska
  14. 2.1 49 km ESE of King Cove, Alaska
  15. 1.7 57 km SSE of King Cove, Alaska

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

On USGS

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