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1964 Alaska earthquake

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fourth Avenue in Anchorage following the earthquake

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.[1] Across south-central Alaska (mainly in Anchorage), ground fissures, collapsing structures, and tsunamis were caused by the earthquake. It caused about 139 deaths.

The earthquake lasted four minutes and thirty-eight seconds. It was a magnitude 9.2 earthquake. It remains the most powerful earthquake recorded in North American history, and the second most powerful earthquake recorded in world history.

Nearby, a 27-foot (8.2 m) tsunami destroyed the village of Chenega, killing 23 of the 68 people who lived there. Post-quake tsunamis severely affected Whittier, Seward, Kodiak, and other Alaskan communities, as well as people and property in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California.[2]

Tsunamis also caused damage in Hawaii and Japan. Evidence of motion directly related to the earthquake was also reported from Florida and Texas.

References

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  1. US Geological Survey report on the earthquake Archived 2009-08-25 at the Wayback Machine
  2. USC, Tsunami Research Group. "1964 Alaskan Tsunami". University of Southern California. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.