Portage, Alaska after the 1964 earthquake. Across south-central Alaska , ground fissures, collapsing structures, and tsunamis resulting from the earthquake caused about 131 deaths. According to Wikipedia, as far away as 200 miles in Kodiak, the 1964 Alaska earthquake caused some areas to be permanently raised by thirty feet, while areas near Portage dropped about eight feet. Valdez with 32 dead was not totally destroyed, but after three years, the town relocated to higher ground four miles (6.4 km) west of its original site. In Anchorage, at the urging of geologist Lidia Selkregg, the City of Anchorage and the Alaska State Housing Authority appointed a team of 40 scientists, including geologists, soil scientists, and engineers, to assess the damage done by the earthquake to the city. On March 27th, 1964, the second largest instrumentally recorded earthquake worldwide rocked southern Alaska for 4 to 5 minutes. In addition to the earthquake, the event triggered a major tsunami that caused casualties and damage from the Kodiak Islands to northern California. [citation needed], A 4.5 ft (1.4 m) wave reached Prince Rupert, British Columbia, just south of the Alaska Panhandle, about three hours after the earthquake. Bad weather and poor visibility hampered air rescue and observation efforts the day after the quake, but on Sunday the 29th the situation improved and rescue helicopters and observation aircraft were deployed. The March 27, 1964, earthquake was accomp anied by crustal deformation-including warping, horizontal distortion, and faulting-over probably more than 110,000 square miles of land and sea bottom in south-central Alaska. The largest tsunami wave was recorded in Shoup Bay, Alaska, with a height of about 220 ft (67 m). “Great” earthquakes (larger than magnitude 8) happen in Alaska on average once every 13 years, while magnitude 7 to 8 earthquakes occur on average once every year. The 60-foot (18 m) concrete control tower at Anchorage International Airport was not engineered to withstand earthquake activity and collapsed, killing William George Taylor, the Federal Aviation Agency air traffic controller on duty in the tower cab at the time the earthquake began.[16]. The earthquake of March 27, 1964, greatly affected the hydrology of Alaska and many other parts of the world. [17] The damage in British Columbia was estimated at CA$10 million ($81 million in 2018 Canadian dollars or $76 million in 2019 US dollars). Across south-central Alaska (mainly in Anchorage), ground fissures, collapsing structures, and tsunamis were caused by the earthquake. "Getting Ready to Rumble", Richard Conniff. On March 27, 1964, at 5:36 p.m. AKST (3:36 a.m. UTC), a fault between the Pacific and North American plates ruptured near College Fjord in Prince William Sound. The March 27, 1964, earthquake was accomp anied by crustal deformation-including warping, horizontal distortion, and faulting-over probably more than 110,000 square miles of land and sea bottom in south-central Alaska. Scientific Background. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that: The earthquake caused rivers, lakes, and other waterways to slosh … Shaking from this earthquake had widespread effects on Alaska and caused a total of $300 million (in 1964 dollars) in damage. [5] Large rockslides were also caused, resulting in great property damage. Here, that 11-foot (3.4 meter) drop — or subsidence — took a line of parked cars with it. Saucier, Heather (April 2014). That remains the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded globally. Guide to the Anchorage Engineering Geology Evaluation Group papers, 1964. The damage was caused entirely by the shifting of ground along the fracture, USGS concluded. Sozen, Mete A. and N. Norby Nielsen, 1973: Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada tables 18-10-0005-01 (formerly CANSIM 326-0021), Friedel, Megan K. (2010). Anchorage sustained great destruction or damage to many inadequately earthquake-engineered houses, buildings, and infrastructure (paved streets, sidewalks, water and sewer mains, electrical systems, and other man-made equipment), particularly in the several landslide zones along Knik Arm. What were the underlying causes? The community of Girdwood was also confined to the southern side of the Seward Highway when water rushed into Turnagain Arm and flooded or destroyed any buildings left standing to the north of the highway. It was the largest U.S. … [10] Five died from the tsunami in Oregon,[11] and 12 died from the tsunami in Crescent City, California. Her husband, Bob, was working on the roof and her first thought was that he had fallen. …40 minutes after the 1964 Alaska earthquake, produced by seismic surface waves passing through the area.… soil liquefaction For example, during the Alaska earthquake of 1964 , the liquefaction of a sandy layer of soft clay beneath Turnagain Heights, a suburb of Anchorage, caused a landslide in the mass of ground above that destroyed approximately 75 homes and disrupted utilities.… The 1964 Alaska earthquake (Mw = 9.2) was a landmark event in geotechnical earthquake engineering. In all, thousands of aftershocks occurred in the months following the quake, and smaller aftershocks continued to strike the region for more than a year. San Francisco Earthquake And The 1964 Alaska Earthquake 1130 Words 5 Pages Over more than 50 decades there has been multiple earthquakes that have been caused by the activity that takes place beneath and above the surface of the earth. Vertical displacement of up to 38 feet (11.5 m) occurred, affecting an area of 100,000 square miles (260,000 km2) within Alaska. [29] Broadcast journalist, Genie Chance, assisted in recovery and relief efforts, staying on the KENI air waves over Anchorage for more than 24 continuous hours as the voice of calm from her temporary post within the Anchorage Public Safety Building. In March 1964, a tectonic tsunami struck the city during the 1964 Alaska earthquake with 30 ft waves that killed 15 people and caused $11 million in damage. The 1964 Alaska earthquake is reported to have caused approximately 128-131 deaths. In addition to the earthquake, the event triggered a major tsunami that caused casualties and damage from the Kodiak Islands to northern California. There are about 20,000 earthquakes in Alaska every year (Alaska Earthquake Center). On March 27, 1964, a megathrust earthquake struck Alaska, about 15 miles below Prince William Sound, halfway between Anchorage and Valdez. Downtown Anchorage, the collapse of Fourth Avenue near C Street, due to a landslide caused by the earthquake. Other Professional I Papers in ithe series describe field investigations and A photographer looks over wreckage as smoke rises in the background from burning oil storage tanks in Valdez, Alaska, on March 29, 1964, two days after the earthquake struck. President Lyndon Johnson declared the entire state of Alaska a major disaster area a day after the earthquake. [22], Alaska had never experienced a major disaster in a highly populated area before, and had very limited resources for dealing with the effects of such an event. The towns of Hot Springs Cove, Zeballos, and Amai also saw damage. On March 27th, 1964, the second largest instrumentally recorded earthquake worldwide rocked southern Alaska for 4 to 5 minutes. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard deployed ships to isolated coastal communities to assist with immediate needs. The Alaska earthquake of 1964 was very powerful--a 9.2 out of 10 on the Richter magnitude scale. Most coastal towns in the Prince William Sound, Kenai Peninsula, and Kodiak Island areas, especially the major ports of Seward, Whittier and Kodiak were heavily damaged by a combination of seismic activity, subsidence, post-quake tsunamis and/or earthquake-caused fires. Ocean floor shifts created large tsunamis (up to 220 feet (67 m) in height), which resulted in many of the deaths and much of the property damage. The earthquake lasted four minutes and thirty-eight sec 7 p.m.—Public lecture open to all, (both presentations will be live-streamed over the Internet), U.S. Geological Survey The crust of southern Alaska is compressed and warped due to plate movement after the plates locked. According to Wikipedia, as far away as 200 miles in Kodiak, the 1964 Alaska earthquake caused some areas to be permanently raised by thirty feet, while areas near Portage dropped about eight feet. Alaska’s continental shelf and North American plate rose over 9 meters during the earthquake. There were premonitions. [2] Across south-central Alaska, ground fissures, collapsing structures, and tsunamis resulting from the earthquake caused about 131 deaths.[3]. W.R. Hansen/ USGS, 1964 Alaska quake files No safe motoring here anymore. The 1964 M9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake, which is still the second largest earthquake ever recorded worldwide, began under Prince William Sound. Alaska earthquake of 1964, earthquake that occurred in south-central Alaska on March 27, 1964, with a moment magnitude of 9.2. The 1964 Alaska tsunami was the second largest ever recorded, again following only the one caused by the 1960 Chile earthquake (4 meters at Sitka). https://archives.consortiumlibrary.org/collections/specialcollections/hmc-0051/. These smaller tsunamis were produced by submarine and subaerial landslides and were responsible for the majority of the tsunami damage. Land effects consisted of a 2 to &foot subsidence of the mainland and Homer Spit, one earthflow at the mouth of a Science Features: The 1964 Alaska Earthquake & Tsunami. Portage, Alaska after the 1964 earthquake. The map shows the epicenter of the 1964 Alaska Earthquake (red star), caused when the Pacific Plate lurched northward underneath the North American Plate. National Research Council (U.S.). [3][9], As a result of the earthquake, 131 people are believed to have died:[3] Nine died as a result of the earthquake itself and another 122 died from the subsequent tsunami all over the world. In this March 1964 photo released by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Government Hill Elementary School is shown destroyed by a landslide following an earthquake in Anchorage, Alaska… Studies of ground motion have led to a peak ground acceleration estimate of 0.14–0.18 g.[6], The Alaska earthquake was a subduction zone (megathrust) earthquake, caused by an oceanic plate sinking under a continental plate. The focus occurred at a depth of approximately 15.5 mi (25 km). Two hundred miles (320 km) southwest, some areas near Kodiak were permanently raised by 30 feet (9 m). Scenes include overturned boats, cars in the … Only the ground immediately along the highway and that on the north side of the road dropped, prompting geologists to speculate that Girdwood may rest upon an ancient cliff face, now covered by countless thousands of years of sediment and glacial deposits. That earthquake had a magnitude of 9.2, the second-largest ever recorded, and killed more than 130 people. [30] Chance provided breaking news of the catastrophic events that continued to develop following the magnitude 9.2 earthquake, and she served as the voice of the public safety office, coordinating response efforts, connecting available resources to needs around the community, disseminating information about shelters and prepared food rations, passing messages of well-being between loved ones, and helping to reunite families. Widespread uplift occurred seaward of Kodiak Island This sent the deadly waves to the West Coast. The 1964 Alaska earthquake is reported to have caused approximately 128-131 deaths. The 1964 Alaskan earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan earthquake and Good Friday earthquake, happened at 5:36 PM AKST on Good Friday, March 27, 1964. USGS. The team of scientists came into conflict with local developers and downtown business owners who wanted to immediately rebuild; the scientists wanted to identify future dangers to ensure that rebuilt infrastructure would be safe. It rocked the state and shook the ground for between four and five minutes. Anchorage, Alaska. Sixteen people died from resulting tsunamis in Oregon and California. The epicenter of the earthquake was 12.4 mi (20 km) north of Prince William Sound, 78 miles (125 km) east of Anchorage and 40 miles (64 km) west of Valdez. [28] On the advice of military and civilian leaders, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared all of Alaska a major disaster area the day after the quake. Alaska earthquake of 1964, earthquake that occurred in south-central Alaska on March 27, 1964, with a moment magnitude of 9.2. Turning point for earthquake science major tsunami that caused casualties and damage from the Kodiak Islands northern... 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