1964 Good Friday Earthquake
Earthquake Evidence: A Whole Lotta Shakin' Went On
On March 27, 1964, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in North America shook all of Southcentral Alaska. The Good Friday Earthquake was originally recorded between 8.4 and 8.6 on the Richter Scale and later upgraded to a magnitude of 9.2.
Today, many photographs and interpretive signs in Anchorage document the quake's effects on the area.
Alaska Experience Theatre/Gift Shop & Alaska Earthquake Exhibit This omnivision film visits all five regions of the state of Alaska. The Earthquake Exhibit and film describes the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake which registered 9.4 on the Richter Scale! Interesting earthquake simulation. (907) 272-9076
Where to See the Evidence
Earthquake Park: The site where huge tracts of land slid into the Inlet, destroying 75 homes. The park now features an interpretive display explaining the quake, along with the area's geology, flora and fauna.
It's also an excellent spot to view the city, Cook Inlet and Mount McKinley on the northern horizon. Located on the scenic Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Take Northern Lights Boulevard west, look for the park sign. The displays are an easy quarter-mile walk from the parking lot.
Anchorage Museum: Part of the museum's permanent Alaska Gallery display is dedicated to the Good Friday Earthquake of 1964. Photos and displays illustrate the quake's effects on Anchorage and throughout the region. (907) 343-4326, Web site.
Alaska Experience Theater: Exhibits, a movie and a special "Safequake Theatre" make this a seismic sensation. Here you can explore the cause and effect of the quake and actually feel the ground shake beneath your seat. Gift shop. Admission charged. Phone: (907) 276-3730.
Turnagain Arm: At the western end of Turnagain Arm, especially near the old townsite of Portage, the evidence is clear. The earth sank about 7 feet in this area and seawater flooded the land, killing the trees along the coastline. Still today, these dead trees stand out from the wetlands like skeletons.
Facts at a Glance: The 1964 Earthquake
- Date: March 27th, 1964 at 5:36 p.m.
- Power: The quake had a magnitude 9.2, releasing 10 million times more energy than the atomic bomb that devastated Hiroshima and 80 times more energy than the 1906 San Francisco quake.
- Epicenter: 80 miles east of Anchorage in Prince William Sound.
- Destruction: In Anchorage, 75 homes and several businesses. Of the 131 deaths recorded, 119 were caused by the tsunami (tidal wave) triggered by the quake that devastated Valdez and severely damaged coastal towns of Seward and Kodiak.
