The February 13, 1983 earthquake

M6.5near Sand Point, Alaska

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake 29.2 miles deep, 0.7 miles off Aleutians East Borough. The 187th strongest in Alaska’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 6.6 on November 10, 1938. 3 aftershocks of magnitude 2.5 or more followed within 30 days.

The earthquake

Magnitude: 6.5; moment magnitude (mw)
Depth: 29.2 mi; 47.0 km below the surface
Local time: Sunday, February 13, 1983; 17:20 AHST; 03:20 UTC on Feb 14, 1983
Epicentre: 54.93°N, 159.19°W; 0.7 mi from Aleutians East Borough
In Alaska’s record: 187th; strongest of 124,625 since 1900
Within 50 miles: 1; county; more on this date

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event usp0001t1b (“94 km ESE of Sand Point, Alaska”). The USGS event page carries the ShakeMap, felt reports and the official summary.

Aftershocks

Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 20 miles of the epicentre in the 30 days after.

Aftershocks in 30 days

5.9

Largest aftershock, Feb 14, 1983

On the first day

In the 7 days before

The search radius is the surface rupture length expected for an earthquake of this magnitude (Wells and Coppersmith, 1994), at least 20 and at most 600 miles, so a great earthquake's sequence is counted along its whole fault.

Counties and cities within 50 miles

Distance from the epicentre to each county boundary (zero when inside) and to each city centre.

Counties

Aleutians East BoroughAK · 0.7 mi

Earthquakes around the epicentre

2,169 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of this epicentre since 1973.

Earlier earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more within 50 miles, strongest first

November 10, 1938M8.2
May 30, 1917M7.4
October 16, 1932M6.6
November 10, 1938M6.6
October 30, 1932M6.3
August 5, 1927M6.2
July 28, 1927M6.2
June 27, 1918M6.0
October 3, 1916M6.0
June 6, 1917M5.9

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.