How the 1964 Alaska earthquake changed geology forever

Magnitude 9.2: 4 minutes of violent shaking

Archival footage reveals the scale of the 1964 Alaska earthquake, a magnitude 9.2 event that unleashed massive landslides and wiped out infrastructure.

The Biggest Earthquake in United States History

Geologists discovered that 185,000 square miles shifted during the 1964 quake, with coastlines dropping eight feet or thrusting upward by thirty-eight feet.

When an Earthquake Moved an Area Larger Than California

USGS geologist George Plafker connected the 1964 Alaska disaster to subduction zones, proving how continental and oceanic plates collide to trigger megathrust quakes.

The Geologist Who Discovered Megathrust Earthquakes

By coring 50 feet into Alaskan mudflats and radiocarbon dating prehistoric plant layers, researchers uncovered nine massive quakes spanning 5,500 years.

Digging 50 Feet Down to Predict Future Disasters

Geologist Peter Haeussler explains how submarine landslides triggered deadly localized tsunamis in Alaskan fjords within three minutes of the quake.

The Hidden Killer: Submarine Landslide Tsunamis

A USGS geologist shares the critical life-saving rule for anyone living or recreating near coastal waters during an earthquake.

What to Do If You Feel an Earthquake Near Water

[00:15] The Biggest Earthquake in United States History
[01:38] When an Earthquake Moved an Area Larger Than California
[02:34] The Geologist Who Discovered Megathrust Earthquakes
[04:14] Digging 50 Feet Down to Predict Future Disasters
[06:13] The Hidden Killer: Submarine Landslide Tsunamis
[08:11] What to Do If You Feel an Earthquake Near Water

How the 1964 Alaska earthquake changed geology forever

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