The May 30, 1991 earthquake

M7.0near King Cove, Alaska

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake 17.6 miles deep, 29.4 miles off Aleutians East Borough. The 55th strongest in Alaska’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 7.1 on May 14, 1948. 5 aftershocks of magnitude 2.5 or more followed within 30 days.

The earthquake

Magnitude: 7.0; moment magnitude (mw)
Depth: 17.6 mi; 28.4 km below the surface
Local time: Thursday, May 30, 1991; 05:17 AKDT; 13:17 UTC
Epicentre: 54.57°N, 161.61°W; 29.4 mi from Aleutians East Borough
In Alaska’s record: 55th; strongest of 124,625 since 1900
Within 50 miles: 1; county; more on this date

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event usp0004s9h (“71 km SE of King Cove, Alaska”). The USGS event page carries the ShakeMap, felt reports and the official summary.

Aftershocks

Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 25 miles of the epicentre in the 30 days after.

Aftershocks in 30 days

5.6

Largest aftershock, May 30, 1991

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 · 29.4 mi

Earthquakes around the epicentre

1,639 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

May 14, 1948M7.1
July 2, 1922M6.8
April 29, 1937M6.7
January 28, 1963M6.6
June 20, 1987M6.5
July 24, 1917M6.4
November 6, 1941M6.4
May 17, 1948M6.1
February 11, 1940M6.0
January 27, 1979M6.0

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