[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. Across south-central Alaska , ground fissures, collapsing structures, and tsunamis resulting from the earthquake caused about 131 deaths. Most other areas of the city were only moderately damaged. [25] The team, called the Engineering and Geological Evaluation Group, was headed by Dr. Ruth A. M. Schmidt, a geology professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage. About 10,000 miles of shoreline was affected by both the earthquake and tsunami. This caused much of the uneven ground which is the result of ground shifted to the opposite elevation. The hamlets of Girdwood and Portage, located 30 and 40 mi (48 and 64 km) southeast of central Anchorage on the Turnagain Arm, were destroyed by subsidence and subsequent tidal action. This page was last edited on 15 December 2020, at 11:47. One house on W. 10th Avenue suffered peripheral damage, but only one block away the recently completed (and still unoccupied) Four Seasons Building on Ninth Avenue collapsed completely, with the concrete elevator shafts sticking up out of the rubble like a seesaw. Results . 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 proper… On March 27th, 1964, the second largest instrumentally recorded earthquake worldwide rocked southern Alaska for 4 to 5 minutes. Seafloor displacement caused by slip on the megathrust fault generated a tsunami that propagated across the Pacific Ocean, which [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. [21] Other coastal towns in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and Hawaii were damaged. On Oct. 27, 1962, two months after moving back to Alaska, Alice felt the “sharpest” earthquake so far. On Good Friday, March 27, 1964, at 5:36 p.m. local time, the earth began to shake in the subduction zone in the Prince William Sound in Alaska. (B) Geomorphic effects of the earthquake of March 27, 1964. in the Martin-Bering Rivers area, Alaska, by Samuel J. Tuthill Anchorage, Alaska. Nearby, a 27-foot (8.2 m) tsunami destroyed the village of Chenega, killing 23 of the 68 people who lived there; survivors out-ran the wave, climbing to high ground. This sent the deadly waves to the West Coast. (2) Intermediate depth seismicity (below 20 miles) occurs in the so-called Benioff Zone, where the subducting Pacific Plate descends towards the mantle beneath the North American Plate. Six hundred miles (970 km) of fault ruptured at once and moved up to 60 ft (18 m), releasing about 500 years of stress buildup. Committee on the Alaska Earthquake. [15] It is likely that the toll would have been much higher had the quake not occurred after 5 PM on Good Friday. [2] Across south-central Alaska, ground fissures, collapsing structures, and tsunamis resulting from the earthquake caused about 131 deaths.[3]. The Pacific Plate containing the Pacific Ocean is being pushed under the North American Plate. 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. [12][13], The quake was a reported XI on the modified Mercalli Intensity scale "indicating major structural damage, and ground fissures and failures". Girdwood was relocated inland and Portage was abandoned. Lasting four minutes and thirty-eight seconds, the magnitude 9.2 megathrust earthquake remains the most powerful earthquake recorded in North American history, and the second most powerful earthquake recorded in world history. The damage was caused entirely by the shifting of ground along the fracture, USGS concluded. Seafloor displacement caused by slip on the megathrust fault generated a tsunami that propagated across the Pacific Ocean, which National Research Council (U.S.). On March 27, 1964—Good Friday—the most powerful earthquake in the history of North America struck the state of Alaska, with Whittier, Prince William Sound and Valdez forming a half-circle to the west, south and east of the epicenter. The earthquake and ensuing tsunamis caused about $2.3 billion of damage (equivalent to $311 million in 1964). It was triggered by a 9.2 earthquake in Alaska. The 1964 earthquake was caused by the same processes that cause the majority of earthquakes in that area. The 1964 Alaska earthquake also known as the Great Alaska Earthquake, the Portage Earthquake and the [31], In the longer term, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers led the effort to rebuild roads, clear debris, and establish new townsites for communities that had been completely destroyed, at a cost of $110 million. 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 greatest damages were sustained, not from the earthquake itself, but from soil failure, tsunamis, landslides, and avalanches. 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). About 20 miles (32 km) of the Seward Highway sank below the high-water mark of Turnagain Arm; the highway and its bridges were raised and rebuilt in 1964–66. The earthquake happened in the so-called Alaska-Aleutian Trench, where a magnitude 9.2 quake in 1964 was centered. Kodiak, Alaska - Wikipedia Because of the 1964 Alaska earthquake, the plans raised some concerns of the test triggering earthquakes and causing a … 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. Sixteen people died from resulting tsunamis in Oregon and California. [24], There were hundreds of aftershocks in the first weeks following the main shock. The biggest earthquake that has hit Alaska was a 9.2 magnitude giant in March 1964, an interface thrust faulting earthquake that ruptured over several hundred kilometers between Anchorage and … 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. At the order of the U.S. Defense Department, the Alaska National Guard founded the Alaska Division of Emergency Services to respond to any future disasters.[28]. [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. 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. 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. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard deployed ships to isolated coastal communities to assist with immediate needs. Near Cordova, the Million Dollar Bridge crossing the Copper River also suffered damage, with Span #4 slipping off its pylon and collapsing. This footage shows the damage caused by the 1964 Good Friday earthquake in Alaska (Color/Silent/8mm film). [14] Property damage was estimated at about $116 million[3] ($0.75 billion in 2019 dollars). The magnitude was originally reported as a magnitude 7.0 but was revised to M7.1 on March 8, 2019. “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 1964 Alaska tsunami was the second largest ever recorded, again following only the one caused by the 1960 Chile earthquake (4 meters at Sitka). Land overlooking the Ship Creek valley near the Alaska Railroad yards also slid, destroying many acres of buildings and city blocks in downtown Anchorage. Widespread uplift occurred seaward of Kodiak Island USGS. It caused about 139 deaths. The crust of southern Alaska is compressed and warped due to plate movement after the plates locked. Run-up of 67 m (220 ft) at Shoup Bay, Alaska. At this boundary, the Pacific Plate slides beneath the North American Plate, causing the majority of Alaska’s earthquakes, including the 1964 earthquake. 7 p.m.—Public lecture open to all, (both presentations will be live-streamed over the Internet), U.S. Geological Survey Soil liquefaction, fissures, landslides, and other ground failures caused major structural damage in several communities and much damage to property. This Earthquake caused rapid changes in the shoreline that normally happen over a period of centuries. [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. 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 1964 earthquake gave birth to modern megathrust earthquake detection,” Haussler said. [29] The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center was formed as a direct response to the disaster. This sequence is an excerpt of AAF-9895 from the Walter Covich collection held by the Alaska Film Archives, a unit of the Alaska and Polar Regions Collections & Archives Department in the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks. Alaska experiences more earthquakes each year than any other state in the United States, and is located in one of the most seismically active regions in the world. At magnitude 9.2, it was the … 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 Government Hill school suffered from the Government Hill landslide, leaving it in two jagged, broken pieces. There was extensive damage to coastal towns and infrastructure throughout the region, particularly in Anchorage, Seward, Whittier, and Valdez. These were mainly of two kinds: the tsunami of open-ocean sea wave, generated by large-scale motion of the sea floor; and the local wave, generated by underwater landslides in bays of fiords. [10] Five died from the tsunami in Oregon,[11] and 12 died from the tsunami in Crescent City, California. 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. It rocked the state and shook the ground for between four and five minutes. At magnitude 9.2, it was the … But the house kept rocking. What caused the earthquake. "Getting Ready to Rumble", Richard Conniff. The focus occurred at a depth of approximately 15.5 mi (25 km). At magnitude 9.2, it was the second largest quake ever recorded by seismometers. There were a total of 131 fatalities associated with the earthquake, 122 of which were caused by tectonic and landslide-generated tsunamis. W.R. Hansen/ USGS, 1964 Alaska quake files No safe motoring here anymore. The dock area, a tank farm, and railroad facilities in Whittier, Alaska were severely damaged by surge-waves developed by underwater landslides in Passage Canal… MENLO PARK, Calif. — On March 27th, 1964, the second largest instrumentally recorded earthquake worldwide rocked southern Alaska for 4 to 5 minutes. 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. There are about 20,000 earthquakes in Alaska every year (Alaska Earthquake Center). [28] A military airlift immediately began shipping relief supplies to Alaska, eventually delivering 2,570,000 pounds (1,170,000 kg) of food and other supplies. ('1) Slide-induced waves, seiching, and ground fracturing caused by the earthquake of March 27, 1964, at Kenai Lake, Alaska, by David S. McCulloch. On Good Friday, March 27, 1964, at 5:36 p.m. local time, the earth began to shake in the subduction zone in the Prince William Sound in Alaska. Abstract. It was the largest U.S. … UAA/APU Consortium Library Archives and Special Collections. [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. The San Francisco Chronicle reports on the 1964 tsunami that caused severe damage in Crescent City, Calif. The U.S. Army rapidly re-established communications with the lower 48 states, deployed troops to assist the citizens of Anchorage, and dispatched a convoy to Valdez. Professional Paper 543 describes the re- 1 gional effects of the earthquake. The northwestward movement of the Pacific Plate relative to the North American Plate caused the earthquake. It was the largest earthquake ever recorded in North America. 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. The earthquake lasted four minutes and thirty-eight sec Other Professional I Papers in ithe series describe field investigations and "PROWESS Honors Historic Earthquake Survivor". Sixteen people died from resulting tsunamis in Oregon and California. The largest tsunami wave was recorded in Shoup Bay, Alaska, with a height of about 220 ft (67 m). 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. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that: The earthquake caused rivers, lakes, and other waterways to slosh … [22] Effects of the earthquake were even noted as far east as Freeport, Texas, where tide gauges recorded waves similar to seismic surface waves. The 1964 great Alaska earthquake caused regional ground displacements, rockfalls and avalanches, damaging landslides, submarine slumps, liquefaction-related ground failures, and tsunamis. That remains the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded globally. The 1964 Alaskan earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan earthquake and Good Friday earthquake, occurred at 5:36 PM AKST on Good Friday, March 27. …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 Great Alaska Earthquake occurred on Good Friday, March 27th. The Alaska earthquake of 1964 was very powerful--a 9.2 out of 10 on the Richter magnitude scale. In the first day alone, eleven major aftershocks were recorded with a magnitude greater than 6.0. The northwestward movement of the Pacific Plate relative to the North American Plate caused the earthquake. [7], Two types of tsunamis were produced by this subduction zone earthquake. For the 50thAnniversary, USGS Geologist Emeritus, George Plafker will review major effects of the earthquake with emphasis on the landslides and ground failures due to the unusually long seismic shaking. Saucier, Heather (April 2014). Here, that 11-foot (3.4 meter) drop — or subsidence — took a line of parked cars with it. [5] Large rockslides were also caused, resulting in great property damage. According to the USGS, the Great Alaska Earthquake caused over $300 million in damage ($2.3 billion in 2013 dollars) and took the lives of 131 people, 119 of those due to the tsunamis. Alaska’s continental shelf and North American plate rose over 9 meters during the earthquake. What were the underlying causes? That remains the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded globally. Her husband, Bob, was working on the roof and her first thought was that he had fallen. [9], Most damage occurred in Anchorage, 75 mi (120 km) northwest of the epicenter. The 1964 Alaska earthquake is reported to have caused approximately 128-131 deaths. Come learn about the great leaps in research over the last 50 years, and the research still underway to understand the remaining mysteries of earthquake hazards. The Great Alaska Earthquake that struck the Anchorage area on Good Friday, March 27, 1964 at 5:36 PM registered 8.6 on the Richter Scale, although scientists now favor a different magnitude scale for very large quakes that shows this quake as 9.2. The Government Hill School (left) suffered severe damage and landslides after the 1964 earthquake. In addition to the earthquake, the event triggered a major tsunami that caused casualties and damage from the Kodiak Islands to northern California. The crust of southern Alaska is compressed and warped due to plate movement after the plates locked. of 1964 earthquake related deaths, applied to the 2018 Alaska population in the geographical areas that were affected by the earthquake. The tsunami was about 220 feet tall. Federal disaster relief funds paid for reconstruction as well as financially supporting the devastated infrastructure of Alaska's government, spending hundreds of millions of dollars that helped keep Alaska financially solvent until the discovery of massive oil deposits at Prudhoe Bay. [30] She was effectively designated as the public safety officer by the city's police chief. Vertical displacement of up to 38 feet (11.5 m) occurred, affecting an area of 100,000 square miles (260,000 km2) within Alaska. [18][19][20], Twelve people were killed by the tsunami in or near Crescent City, California, while four children were killed on the Oregon coast at Beverly Beach State Park. 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. The neighborhood lost 75 houses in the landslide, and the destroyed area has since been turned into Earthquake Park. Portage, Alaska after the 1964 earthquake. The second strongest … In Prince William Sound, Port Valdez suffered a massive underwater landslide, resulting in the deaths of 32 people between the collapse of the Valdez city harbor and docks, and inside the ship that was docked there at the time. Close-up of Government Hill elementary school, which was destroyed by the Government Hill landslide. In addition to the earthquake, the event triggered a major tsunami that caused casualties and damage from the Kodiak Islands to northern California. Alaska earthquake of 1964, earthquake that occurred in south-central Alaska on March 27, 1964, with a moment magnitude of 9.2. [26] The team produced a report on May 8, 1964, just a little more than a month after the earthquake. It released at least twice as much energy as the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and was felt on land over an area of almost 502,000 square miles (1,300,000 square km). Great 1964 Alaska Earthquake Good Friday alaska earthquake. 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… 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 magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday caused no fatalities or widespread building damage, according to officials. In this Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology resource we look at the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake, which occurred on Good Friday, March 27th. On March 27th, 1964, the second largest instrumentally recorded earthquake worldwide rocked southern Alaska for 4 to 5 minutes. 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. Downtown Anchorage, the collapse of Fourth Avenue near C Street, due to a landslide caused by the earthquake. The 1964 Great Alaska Quake caused several downtown areas of Anchorage to collapse. Landslide and slumping effects in the Turnagain Heights area, Anchorage, Alaska, caused by the March 28, 1964, earthquake. Clip of Seward, Anchorage, and Kodiak in the aftermath of the 1964 Good Friday earthquake. 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