The almost forgotten earthquake of the Alaska Gold Rush
The almost forgotten earthquake of the Alaska Gold Rush
Date and Time:
Location:
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1222 Cowles Street
(Raven Landing Center, 1222 Cowles Street, across from the Noel Wein Public Library)
(Raven Landing Center, 1222 Cowles Street, across from the Noel Wein Public Library)
Carl Tape
Associate Professor
UAF-GI
Associate Professor
UAF-GI
On August 27, 1904, seismic stations from around the globe recorded a magnitude 7.3 earthquake originating from central Alaska. The earthquake occurred near the peak of the Gold Rush along the Yukon and Tanana rivers, yet there were---until now---no known written accounts of shaking from the earthquake. I will present five newly discovered accounts of shaking from this earthquake, spanning from St. Michael in western Alaska to Fairbanks and from the Kenai peninsula to Coldfoot. I will discuss the implications of the 1904 earthquake for major faults and seismic hazards in central Alaska.