The 1964 Good Friday earthquake in Alaska, with a magnitude of 9.2, caused widespread devastation and tsunamis that claimed numerous lives. However, it spurred significant advancements in seismic engineering and construction regulations to enhance building safety and mitigate future disasters.
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1964 Alaska Earthquake
The earth began to shake about 5:36 p.m. on March 27, 1964, which was Good Friday, at the same time as a large number of Alaskans were starting to have dinner. When the ground began to shake, witnesses reported hearing a noise that sounded like grinding or crushing. They remembered witnessing asphalt roads rise and fall like waves, the ground opening and shutting in front of them, and water shooting up through the fissures created as a result of the movement of the ground.
As a result of the intense shaking, water, sewer, and gas lines were broken, and extensive telephone and electricity problems occurred. It was able to bring down telephone poles effortlessly, buckle railroad tracks, break highways in two, uproot buildings, cars, and docks, and tear homes apart, among other things. The earth went through a ringing sound that was created by seismic waves.
Moreover, the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964 was accompanied by tremors lasting at least four minutes. The geological investigations that were carried out soon after the event revealed that certain sections of the Alaskan coast sank up to eight feet. In comparison, other sections rose to 38 feet, and a significant portion of the coast shifted fifty feet closer to the ocean. Due to the drop in sea level, coastal trees were obliterated by the presence of saline water.
On the other hand, tsunamis and earthquakes can strike any coastline in any season. Still, Alaska is especially vulnerable to them due to its location at the juncture of the North American and Pacific tectonic plates. By sliding beneath the North American Plate at this boundary, the Pacific Plate is responsible for the bulk of Alaska's earthquakes, including those in 1964. Even though this dangerous event became known as the Great Alaska Earthquake, the tsunamis that followed it were responsible for the most destruction and claimed the most lives. The tsunamis were directly responsible for 124 of the 139 deaths believed to have been caused by this catastrophe. Many communities, including Whittier, Alaska, were flooded by tsunami waves before the earthquake had even had a chance to subside.
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Impact of the Earthquake on Alaska's Construction
Niigata, Japan, was rocked by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake just a few months after the earthquake in Alaska, making 1964 a significant year for seismology. Geotechnical engineer John Thornley, who works at WSP USA in Anchorage SAID's Anchorage office, stated that the two earthquakes came as a wake-up call to a significant number of individuals, bringing to their attention the necessity of significantly enhancing our understanding of how structures and buildings react when subjected to seismic loading.
As a result of seismic engineering, new building codes were developed. Doug Hoftiezer, who teaches building technology at the Alaska Vocational Technical Center in Seward, says that before the earthquake that occurred in 1964, there needed to be more control. They realized they needed more regulation over the construction industry to ensure people's safety when the earthquake struck. Accordingly, 60 years later, the repercussions of the Good Friday earthquake are still evident on a symbolic level. Thus, buildings are now designed and constructed differently due to the disaster, which left its influence on the industry.
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