When the Earth Moves

I had been in Alaska for two hours when I encountered my first earth moving experience. Fresh from landing at Anchorage International Airport, I found myself standing in my fiancee’s home office when the computer monitor and knick-knacks began to vibrate.

“We’re having an earthquake.” She said to me calmly.

I stood there frozen, a stupid smile parting my lips, trying desperately to remain as calm as she was. I may have appeared to be a cool customer on the outside, but inside, concern tied my stomach and throat into knots. It was not one of those first life experiences which a person finds thrilling.

That small quake lasted about 10 seconds. Since then, I have witnessed many more with my wife, but have grown accustomed to the frequent seismic phenomena common to The Last Frontier.

The earth’s Pacific and North American Plates meet along Alaska’s southern coast, making Alaska prime earthquake territory. A seismic reaction occurs deep within the earth when the heavier Pacific Plate moves under (subducts) the less dense North American Plate. On the average, Alaska has 10-20 earthquakes per day; or about 5000 annually. Most are mild, measuring around 2.5, like the first one I experienced soon after stepping foot in Alaska.

On March 27, 1964 Alaska experienced the second largest earthquake in recorded history. With a magnitude of 9.2, the quake shook Alaska for approximately four minutes, destroying the town of Valdez (Alaska’s major oil port), and causing heavy damage to communities throughout the state. Large masses of land were lost in the Anchorage area when the tremors shook coastal acreage into Cook Inlet, Turnagain, and Knik arms. Parts of Portage (45 minutes Southeast of Anchorage) dropped as much as nine feet, while other parts of the state gained elevation. Today, evidence of this great earthquake can still be seen in the Portage area, where two small houses were lost when the ground dropped in elevation, their skeletal remains still standing as a reminder of the devastation.

Surprisingly, the great disaster claimed only 131 lives. But its reach was far. The tsunami created by the violent quake, took 21 lives on the docks of Valdez, Ak., 4 in Oregon, and 12 in California. Local waves created by land crashing into the waters claimed another 82.

The Good Friday Earthquake may have occurred 37 years ago, but its memory is always present in every Alaskan’s mind. Will another disaster similar to it happen again some day? That’s impossible to predict. As for me, I get a kick out of the small ones rumbling under my feet. Hopefully, Alaska will not experience another that will conjure up another memory for future generations to ponder.

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