Tuesday 2 May 2017

Another cluster of aftershocks as more than hundred rattle Skagway Alaska after the two major quakes yesterday

Sent in by Sophie
A cluster of 136 aftershocks mag 2.5 or higher in the Saint Elias Mountains have been recorded since a magnitude 6.3  and a magnitude 6.2 struck Skagway Alaska yesterday.
There are no active volcanoes in the area.

It is the second massive cluster this week after a cluster of around 100 mid to large quakes in a 50km square area struck off the coast of Valparaiso Chile, see map below.

After the massive mag 7.1 quake which has since been downgraded by USGS to a mag 6.9. A cluster of 88 mid to high strength aftershocks struck, including two mag 5.9’s, a mag 5.7, with a further 15 mag 5 or higher.
The area has now calmed and the aftershocks have stopped

The cluster of quakes in Alaska and the ones off the coast of Chile are reminiscent of the build up to the massive mag 9.1 quake hit Honshu, Japan in 2011, killing more than 18,000 people and causing the Fukushima disaster, see map below.


USGS