What caused the most deaths in the Great Alaska earthquake of 1964?
What caused the most deaths in the Great Alaska earthquake of 1964?
Much of the damage and most of the lives lost were due to the effects of water waves. 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.
What was remarkable about the 1964 Alaska earthquake?
The 1964 Alaska earthquake, the strongest earthquake ever recorded in North America, struck Alaska’s Prince William Sound, about 74 miles southeast of Anchorage. The quake also led to significant scientific breakthroughs in subduction earthquakes and how to minimize their destruction.
Which tectonic plate interaction caused the Alaska earthquake in 1964?
Pacific Plate
The 1964 Alaska earthquake resulted from rupture along the thrust fault boundary bet- ween the downgoing Pacific Plate and the overriding North American Plate, causing widespread shaking and tectonic defor- mation.
What caused the 1964 Alaska tsunami?
On March 28, 1964, at 03:28 GMT, an earthquake occurred in Prince William Sound of Alaska triggering a Pacific-wide tsunami. The earthquake had a surface-wave magnitude of 8.4, an epicenter of 61.1° N, 147.5° W, and a depth of 23 km.
What year was the biggest earthquake in Alaska?
1964
On March 27, 1964 at 5:36pm local time (March 28 at 3:36 UTC) an earthquake of magnitude 9.2 occurred in the Prince William Sound region of Alaska.
How long did the Alaska Good Friday earthquake last?
The earthquake lasted approximately 4.5 minutes and is the most powerful recorded earthquake in U.S. history. It is also the second largest earthquake ever recorded, next to the M9. 5 earthquake in Chile in 1960.
What is the strongest earthquake in the US ever recorded?
9.2 magnitude
The largest earthquake to hit the U.S. was on March 28, 1964, when a 9.2 magnitude quake struck Prince William Sound in Alaska.
How long did the 1964 Alaska earthquake last?
What type of earthquake was the 1964 Alaska earthquake?
The Alaska earthquake was a subduction zone (megathrust) earthquake, caused by an oceanic plate sinking under a continental plate.
What was the height of the 1964 Alaskan earthquake?
Run-up of 67 m (220 ft) at Shoup Bay, Alaska. 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. Across south-central Alaska, ground fissures, collapsing structures, and tsunamis resulting from the earthquake caused about 131 deaths.
What happened in Alaska in 1964?
The 1964 earthquake was a defining moment in a territory that had just achieved statehood. Fifty years later, it continues to shape Alaska, its people, and the science of earthquakes.
Who responded to the Alaska earthquake in 1966?
Excerpt from the TV show “The Big Picture” produced by the US Army in 1966 about the Alaska Earthquake and its tragic effects. Ned Rozell’s personal account of his meeting with George Plafker, one of three USGS Geologists who responded to the Alaska quake a few days after event.
What is the largest tsunami ever recorded in Alaska?
The largest tsunami wave of the 1964 Alaska Earthquake measured over 200 feet in height and was recorded at Shoup Bay near the Valdez inlet.
