A cluster of earthquakes struck about 110 miles southeast of Unalaska throughout the day Tuesday.
Scientists say the earthquakes are normal for the region, and no one has reported feeling them in the U.S. Geological Survey’s Felt Report database.
Still, the Alaska Earthquake Center took to social media to share the seismic activity. Elisabeth Nadin, a geologist and communications manager with the center, said the post was more of a reminder that they’ve got the Aleutians on their radar.
“We posted it just because there were a few within the same time range,” Nadin said. “And we don't want people thinking we're ignoring them, or they're not happening — just kind of keeping people aware of the activity in the area.”
Nadin said a magnitude 5 quake hit around 10:30 Tuesday morning, followed by a magnitude 4 event and a few other smaller earthquakes.
She said that between Jan. 20 and Feb. 5, there were 60 earthquakes in the region, from about Cold Bay west to near Amukta Island.
While the Feb. 4 cluster is pretty normal for the region, Nadin said there has been some unusual activity across Alaska recently.
“There was a magnitude 5.2 on the Iditarod-Nixon fault west of McGrath,” she said. “That's an unusual place in Alaska for an earthquake, [but] not unexpected because there is a fault there. And then there was a magnitude 5 out in the Bering Strait west of Nome, near Little Diomede a couple days ago.”
Aleutians residents should expect more activity, even if they can’t feel it. The U.S. Geological Survey predicts a roughly 70% chance of aftershocks of magnitude 3 or greater in the area over the next week, according to Nadin.
