Alaska Earthquake Details for June 3-4, 2024

A recent seismic event was recorded on June 3, 2024, at 20:25:37 AKDT (June 4, 2024, 04:25:37 UTC), with coordinates 66.4763°N, 147.7063°W and a depth of 3.8 miles (approximately 6 km). This earthquake’s epicenter was located in a remote area of Alaska, with the nearest communities being Stevens Village, Venetie, Birch Creek, Fort Yukon, and Livengood among others, ranging from 50 to 113 miles away. The earthquake has yet to be reviewed by a seismologist, and it occurred in the Brooks Range, a region known for its seismic activity due to intraplate earthquakes related to mountain building and crustal reorganization.
The Brooks Range’s tectonic setting involves a mixture of strike-slip and normal faulting events, driven by north-northwest compression and northeast extension. This area has a history of significant seismic activity, including a magnitude 6.4 earthquake south of Kaktovik in August 2018, the largest ever recorded in the region, which was followed by an energetic aftershock sequence. Additionally, since 2019, the Purcell Mountains have experienced a vigorous swarm of over 9,000 earthquakes, including five with magnitudes over 5.0, indicating ongoing and decreased yet significant seismic activity in the region.