Scientists find connection between M7.3 earthquake and others in the region
Scientists believe July 16 earthquake is part of a series of multiple earthquakes of similar magnitudes in the same area
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - On Wednesday, the Alaska Peninsula was shaken by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake.
The epicenter of the quake was 55 miles south of Sand Point and triggered resulting tsunami warnings for much of the Alaskan Peninsula, Kodiak, and portions of the eastern Aleutians.
Though this earthquake took Alaska by surprise, the occurrence of a M7.0 or larger earthquake is nothing new to the state.
During an interview with Alaska’s News Source, state seismologist at the Alaska Earthquake Center Michael West explained that the entire southern coast of Alaska is a part of a large tectonic collision zone and earthquakes of this size are normal.
“Earthquakes of magnitudes 7.0, 8.0, and even on occasion 9.0 we fully expect through that area,” West said.
According to West, the true surprise of this seismic event was that it is the fifth earthquake exceeding a magnitude of 7.0 within a small stretch of a couple hundred kilometers since 2020.
The Alaska Earthquake Center also reported that Wednesday’s earthquake, and one that struck two years ago — almost to the day — were both within the aftershock zone of the larger M7.8 Simeonof Earthquake on July 21, 2020.
It is explained by West and the Alaska Earthquake Center that the southern coast of Alaska is in a “period of geological unrest” where tectonic plates converge a couple of inches per year, and after decades and centuries of collecting this energy, are finally released unevenly.
This has been reflected in the staggered activity over the past five years, and they say potentially even into the future.
Since Wednesday, there have been more than 40 recorded aftershocks, with the strongest reaching M5.7. West said that it is common for earthquakes similar to this one to continue to have resulting activity within days to weeks and even sometimes months after.
According to the USGS Aftershock Forecast, there is still a small possibility for a magnitude 6.0 to 6.9 quake to occur in the next week, but the chance of seeing at least one aftershock of that size within the next week is only 11%. There is an increased chance of a magnitude 5.0 and weaker aftershock to occur near the epicenter of the M7.3 quake and the surrounding area.
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