Great Alaska Earthquake

Learn about the largest U.S. earthquake ever recorded, its cause, effects, and legacy from the USGS. Explore maps, videos, photos, and articles about the magnitude 9.2 subduction zone event and its tsunami impacts.

The epicenter of the Great Alaska Earthquake was about 12 miles north of Prince William Sound and 75 miles east of Anchorage. Due to the long duration of the earthquake, catastrophic ground failures occurred. Ground failures are an effect of seismic activity in which the ground becomes very soft and acts like liquid, causing landslides and

The Great M9.2 Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami of March 27, 1964. USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Turnagain Heights Landslide, Anchorage Alaska. NOAA Natural Hazards Image Database.

The Great Alaska Earthquake is still helping solve scientific mysteries today. In 1999, a microscopic fungus called Cryptococcus gattii that typically grows on rotting wood in tropical rainforests

Alaska earthquake of 1964, earthquake that occurred in south-central Alaska on March 27, 1964, with a moment magnitude of 9.2. The earthquake killed 131 people, and it was felt on land over an area of almost 502,000 square miles 1,300,000 square km.

The 1964 Alaska earthquake, also known as the Great Alaska earthquake and Good Friday earthquake, was a magnitude 9.2-9.3 megathrust earthquake that occurred on March 27, 1964. It caused widespread damage and deaths in Alaska and other parts of North America, and triggered tsunamis that affected Hawaii, Japan, and other regions.

Learn about the magnitude 9.2 earthquake that occurred in 1964 and triggered a devastating tsunami in Alaska and beyond. Explore the science, multimedia, publications, and survivor stories of this historic event.

Learn about the magnitude 9.2 earthquake that struck south-central Alaska in 1964, causing widespread damage and fatalities. Explore the scientific advances and lessons from this historic event and its aftermath.

The Great Alaska Earthquake remains the second-largest ever recorded in the world. Each earthquake releases energy when rock ruptures after accumulating strain. The energy release from the 1964 quake was so large because 600 miles 970 km of fault ruptured in only 4 minutes and moved up to 60 feet 18 m.

The 1964 Alaska Earthquake, also known as the Great Alaska Earthquake and the Good Friday Earthquake, was a megathrust quake that began at 536 P.M. AST on March 27, 1964. It had a moment magnitude of 9.2, making it the second largest earthquake on record. Lasting nearly three minutes, it was the most powerful recorded earthquake in U.S. and