Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964—Magnitude 9.2 —Causes & Effects

More earthquake animations: iris.edu/educate
The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake occurred on Good Friday, March 27th. It and rocked the state with strong ground shaking for 4.5 minutes. At magnitude 9.2, it was the second largest quake ever recorded by seismometers. This animation shows the underlying causes of that earthquake, and tells how research done on the ground deformation contributed to confirmation of early theories of plate tectonics.

Animation & graphics by Jenda Johnson, geologist, Earth Sciences Animated
Directed by Robert F. Butler, University of Portland
U.S. Geological Survey consultants:
Robert C. Witter, Alaska Science Center
Peter J. Haeussler, Alaska Science Center
Narrated by Roger Groom, Mount Tabor Middle School

Earthquake locations from UAF Alaska Earthquake Center. Maps from Google Earth. Video from US Army Corps of Engineers. Tsunami animation from National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. Photographs from US Geological Survey.
Funded by the National Science Foundation