Location:

Period:

10 May 2006 02:46:45 - 13 May 2006 09:56:32 (3 days 7 hours 9 minutes)

Volcanoes in 100km radius:

Tana(81km), Vsevidof(86km), Kagamil(90km), Cleveland(90km), Recheschnoi(91km), Herbert(95km)

Earthquakes:

8 swarms found nearby.

2007

PS20071227.1(36.5km)

26 Dec

17 hours

7 earthquakes

2010

S20100719.1(28.4km)

18 Jul

17 days 10 hours

390 earthquakes

S20100812.1(24.4km)

11 Aug

1 day 22 hours

41 earthquakes

S20100815.1(28.1km)

14 Aug

1 day 7 hours

34 earthquakes

2015

PS20150727.1(41.8km)

27 Jul

3 hours

8 earthquakes

2016

S20160328.1(27.4km)

27 Mar

1 day 19 hours

33 earthquakes

2017

S20170810.1(16.0km)

9 Aug

2 days 7 hours

32 earthquakes

2022

PS20220111.1(67.8km)

11 Jan

3 hours

8 earthquakes

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Seismic Swarm S20060510.1 Near Nikolski, Alaska

Seismic swarm S20060510.1 was recorded 61 km south of Nikolski, Alaska, on Umnak Island in the Aleutian chain. The sequence began at 02:46 on 10 May 2006 and concluded at 09:56 on 13 May 2006, spanning 79 hours and 9 minutes. During this interval, 56 earthquakes were registered.

The events displayed a range of magnitudes from 2.1 to 4.6, with the largest reaching 4.6 at 23:01 on 10 May at a depth of 26 km. Other notable shocks included two magnitude 4.5 events on 10 May at 03:20 and 18:43, both near 22–25 km depth, and a magnitude 4.3 event on 11 May at 04:40. Depths clustered primarily between 15 km and 40 km, consistent with activity along the subduction interface. Shallower events near 5–6 km appeared only at the tail end of the swarm on 13 May.

Temporal distribution showed peak activity in the first 24 hours, with frequent events every few minutes initially, followed by a gradual decline. Multiple events exceeded magnitude 3.0, including several at 3.6 and 3.4, indicating sustained stress adjustment rather than isolated aftershocks.

Nikolski lies within the Aleutian subduction zone, where the Pacific Plate converges with the North American Plate at rates of approximately 6–7 cm per year. This tectonic setting produces frequent moderate seismicity and hosts active volcanoes such as Mount Vsevidof and Mount Recheshnoi on Umnak Island. The region has a well-documented history of both volcanic and seismic unrest, including the great 1957 Andreanof Islands earthquake of magnitude 8.6 and subsequent aftershock sequences.

Swarm activity in this area often reflects fluid migration or episodic slip along the megathrust, distinct from typical mainshock-aftershock patterns. Depths recorded in S20060510.1 align with the expected range for interplate events in the central Aleutians. No surface rupture or significant ground deformation was associated with this particular swarm.

Ongoing monitoring by regional networks continues to track background seismicity in the Aleutians, where hundreds of events occur annually. Swarms such as S20060510.1 provide valuable data on stress accumulation along the subduction interface ahead of potentially larger ruptures.

References

Alaska Earthquake Center event catalogs
USGS Earthquake Hazards Program regional reports
SeismoSight internal swarm classification records