Earthquakes in Alaska (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kodiak: apartment complex, houses, neighborhood)

[Chelito23]

I have been studying seismology informally over the internet for a while now and I see Alaska is a hot spot. All up and down the Pacific coast and into the interior as well!
I would like to know in which part of the state are earthquakes and tremors felt the most frequently? I am guessing the Aleutian Islands and then Anchorage? How often are tremors or small quakes felt in Anchorage, or any other communites around the state? I know there are queakes everyday, and most are not felt...but I am itnerested in the perceptible ones. Thanks.

[seashelly]

I watch the earthquake data daily too. It seems that when Alaska gets the quakes, Oregon Coast gets the resulting high sneaker wave.

[saralee]

I never post in this forum but was intrigued by this ...

Late last night while surfing channels, I think I came across a Weather Channel special on this very topic. They showed footage from a earthquake that destroyed Kodiak in 1964. Damage also spread to Anchorage/ There was an ensuing tsunami.

The whole experience looked horrifying. Despite such astronomical structural damage, "only" 115 lives were loss because the area was not densely populated. They later went on to discuss the impact that same earthquake would have today. They also mentioned that it was only a matter of time before the same fault lines erupted and an earthquake hit Oregon (if I recall correctly). It was very late, but fascintating. I'm surprised I retained as much info as I apparently have!

SL

[Rance]

www.aeic.alaska.edu/Seis/recenteqs/index.html has some good current eqrthquake info. Also try http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

[sweetana3]

I was living in Anchorage on my birthday, March 27, 1964. The earthquake is still fresh in my mind. Anything you would like to know?

It was very very long time wise. 5-10 minutes of actual ground movement in large waves. Very hard to stand up the whole time. Telephone poles swaying and cars bouncing around.

Incredible land shifts. One whole side of Fourth Avenue slide down one full story. The buildings did not collapse just slide down. you could walk out the second floor windows. Luckily I did not want to go to the movies that afternoon or that is where all the kids would have been.

Lots and lots of large and small aftershocks for weeks. Schools used as emergency housing. Lucky we had two large military bases whose landing strips were not damaged and were used to ferry in supplies.

My dad could give much more recovery info since he was an engineer.

[Chelito23]

How often do people feel tremors in Anchorage? I am guessng a few light shakes a handful of times each year. Just wondering about the quakes on average as oppsoed to the massive 64 quake, which sure sounds morbidly fascinating.

[Capt George]

check out Baja Nomad Forum

multiple quakes in a small pueblo (Ascuncion) about 500 miles south of San Diego. About 50 miles north of where we live a good part of the year..

we"ll be spending lots of time in Coffman Cove come May. Purchased a property there, plenty of fish etc.

[SWCMale]

I was in the San Fran bay quake, in what was it ..1989, near the beach two stories up, changing clothes, around 5:30 evening time. Swaying back and forth so far that I couldn't get the window up. Around the building was no trees to jump on except outside my window, actually I was near Montery, the tree was so close yet, so far away. 7.2?

I've watched the quakes in Alaska, most north and around Anchorage. Saw a show not too long ago that showed the worst case senario for that area, it took out, encluding the ...wave action, clear up to it looked like Talkeetna, UNDER WATER!

The least quake action seems to be on the other side of the Alaskan Range (north of the rainbow shape.) South of Fairbanks looks pretty calm! Delta has the misiliers and 12 rockets, wonder how the ground would shake when one of those goes off?

[SandyCo]

I read somewhere that Alaska has some of the largest earthquakes in the world! Unfortunately, Alaska, as well as the entire west coast of the United States and Canada, is part of the Pacific "rim of fire" - earthquakes and volcanoes abound. "Shake n' Bake", anyone?!

By the way, the worst thing you can do during an earthquake is to go outside if you're inside, because falling glass from breaking windows can fall on you. You're much safer if you curl up next to a desk or a bed, something that can take the impact of, say, the roof falling in! Apparently, jumping into a doorway is not a good option, especially if the door is swinging back and forth.

There's a reason I live on the top floor of my apartment complex...

[sweetana3]

back in 53 going outside in our neighborhood was fine because there was nothing to fall on you. Houses were all one story and the telephone poles were the only thing that could fall and there were not very many of those. Trees way too short.

Inside, everthing that was in cabinets and on walls was falling on the floor. The kitchen was a danger zone. Especially since Mom put everything in glass jars in upper cabinets. Mom was hurt in a grocery store when the cans flew up in the air and then down on the customers during a big ground wave.

She could not leave the store due to the electric lines that had fallen across the parking lot.

My brother says they have a normal for him number of small quakes. Nothing that was long enough to make it away from a desk and to the door.