A few of these stations are part of the new Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) being deployed by the USGS and cooperators. The largest inland earthquake in North America in almost 150 years struck Alaska on November 3, 2002. The Great M7.9 Denali Fault, Alaska earthquake of Nov 3, 2002: Geotechnical Engineering Reconnissance Report - A Slide Presentation. • The 2002 Denali Fault earthquake – United States Geological Survey These effects were the result of a phenomenon called "liquefaction," in which strong, prolonged earthquake shaking transforms loose, water-saturated sediments into a liquid slurry. This event was followed by numerous aftershocks that defined a 45-km-long zone along the Denali fault. While on average for October-December data mc is 1.4, it is as low as 1.1 at the western end of the rupture and as high as 2.2 at the eastern end. In 2002, the Denali Fault in central Alaska ruptured catastrophically, unleashing a magnitude-7.9 earthquake. 40Ar/39Ar data from the Richardson mining district, Big Delta Quadrangle, Alaska - RDF 2020-11 Between 1912 and 2002 the level of recorded seismicity on this section of the Denali Fault was very low with the majority of earthquakes M >4.5 occurring on thrust faults to the north or south … There were reports of triggered seismicity in volcanic and geothermal centers in Washington and California and regional seismicity in Utah.Â, 2156 Koyukuk Drive, PO Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775. Many geologists who study evidence of ancient earthquakes in deposits and landforms along the southernmost San Andreas Fault, where the 1685 earthquake occurred, have concluded that a major quake on this segment of the fault is likely to happen again in the near future. The epicenters (point on the earth surface where the quakes originate) of each of these large earthquakes was about 50 km (30 miles) east of the park, on the Denali fault. The earthquake began at 1:12 p.m. Alaska local time, and was centered approximately 135 kilometers (84 miles) south of Fairbanks and 283 kilometers (176 miles) north of Anchorage. Multiple land slides and rock avalanches occurred in the Alaska Range with the largest slide on the Black Rapids Glacier. This event caused significant damage to the transportation systems in central Alaska. In the 12 days following the Denali fault earthquake, the mean rate of earthquakes above magnitude 1.5 in the Wasatch Front area increased to almost triple the mean rate for the previous three … The survival of the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline in the 2002 Denali Fault earthquake demonstrates the value of combining careful geologic studies of earthquake hazards and creative engineering in designing and protecting such important structures and lifelines. Following the Denali Fault earthquake, Lake Union in Seattle experienced an earthquake-induced seiche, or water sloshing, which knocked many houseboats off their moorings and caused minor damage. Then the rupture transferred onto the main strand of the DFS and continued as a right-lateral strike-slip event for ~220 km until it reached the Totschunda fault near 143W longitude. Our research team examines major fault systems in Alaska capable of generating large earthquakes, including the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone, the Denali Fault system, and the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault system. Four month of data remain unprocessed at this time (January-April, 2003). The largest aftershock (M 5.8) occurred 20 minutes after the main shock and was located 95 km east of the mainshock's epicenter (~10 km east of the Richardson highway crossing). It ruptured three different faults ending with a total rupture length of ~330 km. The pattern of landsliding may help to better estimate levels of shaking along the length of the fault, especially because of the sparsity of seismic instruments in this rugged mountainous region. The earthquake began about 80 km (50 miles) east of the Denali Visitor Center, and ruptured eastward along the Denali Fault, … Starting on the Susitna Glacier Thrust Fault, the rupture raced along the Denali Fault System and continued 220 kilometers until it reached the Totschunda Fault, rattling 70 more kilometers. Rupture Directivity of the 3 November 2002 Denali Fault Earthquake Determined from Surface Waves Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America Radiated Energy and the Rupture Process of the Denali Fault Earthquake Sequence of 2002 from Broadband Teleseismic Body Waves During the 10 days following the Denali Fault earthquake, geologists from the USGS and Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, as well as several universities, mapped and measured the earthquake rupture on the ground and using aircraft. The aftershock zone terminates !10 km west of When the Denali Fault earthquake struck a few days later, these stations helped to provide crucial data. These include the magnitude 7.8 San Francisco earthquake in 1906, the magnitude 7.9 Fort Tejon earthquake in 1857 north of Los Angeles, and a quake that struck east of what is now Los Angeles in about 1685. Instrumental recordings of ground motion near earthquakes like the Denali Fault quake are critical for improving engineering design, but such quakes do not occur often. One facility that was badly damaged by the earthquake was the runway at Northway Airport, 40 miles from the eastern part of the November 3, 2002, fault rupture. Yellowstone National Park had the most energetic swarm of triggered earthquakes. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"155","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"369","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"480"}}]], white line - mapped rupture | red lines - fault traces | dashed black line - Trans-Alaska Pipeline | black lines - roads | blue lines - major rivers, This high-altitude view shows the approximate locations of the earthquake epicenters. Areas that experienced liquefaction during the earthquake include much of the Tanana River Valley north and east of the rupture and other locations near smaller rivers. The fault's rate of displacement varies from 1 mm to 35 mm per year. This presents a rare opportunity to catch a major earthquake in the act. It started on the previously unrecognized Susitna Glacier Thrust fault, a splay fault south of the McKinley strand of the Denali fault system (DFS). The Denali Fault is a major strike-slip fault in western North America, extending from northwestern British Columbia, Canada, to the central region of the U.S. state of Alaska. The focus of our investigation was to characterize the spatial extent and amplitude of ground failures and fault … In the left foreground, the Nenana River marks the eastern boundary of Denali National Park. In the distance, the rugged peaks of Mts. It illuminates earthquake mechanics and hazards of large strike-slip faults. Looking west along Denali fault photo: Wesley K. Wallace 2002: Mw = 7.9 Rupture length = 330 km Maximum RL offset = 8.8 m Denali Fault 2002 Denali Quake Caused huge landslide from an unnamed 7,000-foot-high peak in the Alaska Range, less than 10 miles west of the Trans- Alaska Oil Pipeline Was triggered by the 2002 Denali Fault earthquake. The earthquake began at 1:12 p.m. Alaska local time, and was centered approximately 135 kilometers (84 miles) south of Fairbanks and 283 kilometers (176 miles) north of Anchorage. Should such a quake occur today, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and other populations centers in southern California could suffer heavy damage and loss of life. The magnitude of completeness mc of the aftershock catalog varies along the rupture zone. The view is eastward along the main strand of the Denali fault, which is marked here by a prominent linear valley along the southern edge of the Alaska Range. By studying earthquakes like the 2002 Denali Fault earthquake, scientists and engineers gain the knowledge necessary to reduce the vulnerability of buildings and other structures to damage in these inevitable and terrifying events. The MW (moment magnitude) 7.9 Denali fault earthquake on 3 November 2002 was associated with 340 kilometers of surface rupture and was the largest strike-slip earthquake in North America in almost 150 years. The Parks Highway, which connects Anchorage and Fairbanks, lies immediately east of the river north of the fault, but diverges from the river to the south. Compiled By Gary S. Fuis and Lisa A. Wald, Edited by James W. Hendley II and Peter H. Stauffer Graphic design by Susan Mayfield, Sara Boore, Eleanor Omdahl, and J. Luke Blair; Web layout by Carolyn Donlin, COOPERATING ORGANIZATIONS Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska Volcano Observatory Alyeska Pipeline Service Company California Institute of Technology Central Washington University Humboldt State University University of California Berkeley West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, For more information contact: Earthquake Information Hotline (650) 329-4085 U.S. Geological Survey, Mail Stop 977 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 Visit the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program website to learn more, PDF version of this fact sheet (2.2 MB) REDUCING EARTHQUAKE LOSSES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, For questions about the content of this report, contact Gary Fuis, Download the current version of Acrobat Reader for free, | Help | PDF help | Geopubs main page | Fact Sheets |, | Department of the Interior | Privacy Statement | Disclaimer | Accessibility | URL of this page: https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2003/fs014-03/ Maintained by: Michael Diggles Created: February 5, 2003 Last modified: May 17, 2005 (mfd), the pipeline did not break in the quake, the 2002 Denali Fault earthquake occurred on a "strike-slip" fault, Denali Fault quake is similar to three earthquakes that ruptured the San Andreas Fault in the past few centuries, USGS Earthquake Hazards Program website. This success is a major achievement in U.S. efforts to reduce earthquake losses. The principal rupture was a 210-kilometer-long section of the Denali fault, with horizontal shifts of up to nearly 9 meters (26 feet). The Nenana Mountain and Denali Fault earthquakes generated a vigorous aftershock sequence. Like the Denali Fault quake, the Nenana Mountain shock caused only limited damage because of its remote location. They identified the previously unknown Susitna Glacier Fault in the area where the quake began and showed that the rest of the rupture exactly followed an older rupture that geologists had documented in the 1970's. No oil spilled, and pipeline operations resumed after … It occurred a little before 3:30 p.m. It was the largest inland earthquake to hit North … Although comparable in size and type to the quake that devastated San Francisco in 1906, the Denali Fault earthquake caused no deaths and little damage to structures because it struck a sparsely populated region of south-central Alaska. But there's still a lot scientists don't know about it. Its epicenter was located on the Denali fault 22 km east of the M 7.9 event epicenter. Shortly after midday on November 3, 2002, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake ruptured the Denali Fault in the rugged Alaska Range, about 90 miles south of Fairbanks. Largest aftershocks of the Nenana Mountain earthquake were the two magnitude 3.8 events. The largest on-land earthquake in North America in almost 150 years occurred along the Denali fault in 2002 and was a powerful reminder of the … Because the 2002 Denali Fault earthquake occurred on a "strike-slip" fault, like the San Andreas Fault, it offers a realistic example of effects likely to accompany the next major earthquake in California. It began with thrusting on the previously unrecognized Susitna Glacier fault… The 2002 M7.9 Denali fault earthquake resulted in 340 km of ruptures along three separate faults, causing widespread liquefaction in the fluvial deposits of the alpine valleys of the Alaska Range and eastern lowlands of the Tanana River. 7.9 magnitude earthquake hits! Deborah and Hess rise to about 12,000 feet (3650 m) just north of the epicenters and the bend in the Denali fault. The second largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in the world occurred along the eastern Aleutian subduction zone, the Mw9.2 Great Alaskan earthquake of 1964. This places the rupture in the same class as those that produced the San Andreas fault's two historical great earthquakes in 1906 and 1857. This powerful shock may have been triggered by a magnitude 6.7 temblor, the Nenana Mountain earthquake, that occurred nearby on the same fault 10 days earlier. The largest inland earthquake in North America in almost 150 years struck Alaska on November 3, 2002. In response to the magnitude 6.7 and 7.9 events, the Alaska Earthquake Information Center (AEIC) staff installed a network of temporary instruments for the aftershock monitoring. It started on the previously unrecognized Susitna Glacier Thrust fault, a splay fault south of the McKinley strand of the Denali fault system (DFS). 2). The temporary network was dismantled in June, 2003. earthquake is believed to have ruptured at least part of the same segment of the Denali Fault in 1912 (Carver et al. The runway was rendered unusable by lateral spreading, accompanied by sand boils. Violent, prolonged shaking from the quake triggered thousands of landslides, especially on the steep slopes of the Alaska Range. Imaging The M7.9 Denali Fault Earthquake 2002 Rupture At The Delta River Using SASW, LIDAR, and RADAR Gedney, Larry, and Estes, Steve, 1982, A Recent earthquake on the Denali Fault in the southeast Alaska Range, in Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Short Notes on Alaskan Geology - 1981: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Geologic Report 73J, p. 51-54. Alaska’s Denali Fault was on the move, jostling the state with a magnitude 7.9 earthquake. At that point, it right-stepped onto the more south-easterly trending Totschunda fault and stopped after rupturing nearly 70 km of it. While the fault rupture lasted for approximately 100 sec from its initiation to the arrest, its distal effects were felt for many days. A magnitude 4.4 foreshock preceded the Denali Fault mainshock by 3.5 hours. Mountainsides gave way, burying the valleys and glaciers below in deposits of rock and ice as much as 15 feet thick. Like most earthquakes of its size, it was complex, consisting of several subevents. It started with thrust (upward) motion on a previously unknown fault, now called the Susitna Glacier Fault. The M 7.9 Denali Fault event was preceded by the magnitude 6.7 Nenana Mountain event on October 23, 2002. A team of geologists surveyed the total length of the ruptured faults and reported maximum vertical offsets on the Susitna Glacier Thrust of 4 m and maximum horizontal offsets of 8.8 m west of the Denali and Totschunda fault junction. In 2002, the Denali Fault ruptured in a sequence of earthquakes that commenced with the October 23 M6.7 Nenana Mountain right-lateral strike-slip earthquake and culminated with the November 3, M7.9 Denali earthquake which started as a thrust earthquake along a then unrecognized fault and continued with a larger right … Seiches were seen as far away as Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana. The Denali Fault quake is similar to three earthquakes that ruptured the San Andreas Fault in the past few centuries. The first locatable triggered earthquake was a magnitude 2.6 shock about 12.5 miles east of Salt Lake City. Additional instruments were deployed after the Denali Fault quake, and as of December 2002, a total of 26 temporary seismic stations were gathering data on the quake's aftershocks. Although slightly damaged by movement on the fault and by intense shaking, the pipeline did not break in the quake, averting a major economic and environmental disaster. Bedrock geologic map of the eastern Denali Highway area, Mount Hayes, Healy, and Talkeetna Mountains quadrangles, Alaska - RI 2020-7 New release! The onslaught of the data has created processing delays. (Photo and interpretation by Wesley K. Wallace, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks), Of the population centers, the hardest hit were the villages of Mentasta and Northway, located at the eastern end of the rupture zone. The November 3, 2002, magnitude (M) 7.9 Denali Fault earthquake was the strongest ever recorded in the interior of Alaska. The data from the dense network should give seismologists a better idea of the Denali Fault’s character. However, full ANSS instrumentation on either end of the 2002 rupture is critical if this goal is to be achieved. AEIC receives data from more than 370 seismic stations, integrating all seismic networks in Alaska. If we’re talking sheer magnitude, the largest recorded earthquake on North American soil hit Alaska on November 3, 2002. UAF is an AA/EO employer and educational institution and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual. Many active faults in Alaska are capable of generating large tsunamis that threaten coastal communities … Due to Alyeska’s earthquake protection, the Denali Fault earthquake did not compromise the integrity of the pipeline. USGS studies of the Denali Fault earthquake are part of the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program's ongoing efforts to safeguard lives and property from the future quakes that are certain to strike in Alaska, California, and elsewhere in the United States. The diffuse zone of seismicity between Cook Inlet and the Denali Fault may mark a deformation zone between the Bering microplate to the … Additional delays have been caused by the necessity of reviewing the earthquake locations a second time when the data from the temporary Denali network were brought back from the field and merged with the bulk of AEIC data. A rupture there caused a magnitude 7.9 earthquake on November 3, 2002, tearing a 200-mile line across the face of Alaska, through soil and glacial ice. They already know huge earthquakes happen on the fault. They also located major landslides caused by the quake. The November 2002 earthquake had a magnitude of 7.9 and caused a surface rupture 325 km (~200 miles) long, mostly on the central Denali Fault (see red line on map below). Following the Denali Fault earthquake, adjacent fault segments have been stressed, increasing the likelihood of additional earthquakes on those segments. In contrast, the 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake, which had the same magnitude, caused 67 deaths and $40 billion in damage when it struck the densely populated Los Angeles region. The Denali Fault event was felt as far as Washington and caused seiches in pools and lakes as far as Texas and Louisiana. However, the 1906 earthquake near San Francisco killed at least 700 people (the actual death toll was probably 3 to 4 times greater). The 1857 California and 2002 Alaska earthquakes struck far from major cities, causing little or no loss of life. The Denali fault earthquake sequence be-gan with the moment magnitude (M W) 6.7 Nenana Mountain earthquake on 23 Octo-ber 2002 (Fig. The locations of the Nenana Mountain and Denali Fault earthquakes and their aftershocks were determined by the Alaska Earthquake Information Center (AEIC) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Evidence of the 1685 earthquake was only discovered in the past 20 years. The estimated magnitude of this earthquake ranges from the body wave magnitude mb of 7.0 to the moment magnitude MW of 7.9 to the surface wave magnitude MS of 8.5. Called the Denali Fault earthquake, this shock was the strongest ever recorded in the interior of Alaska. The AEIC located over 1,000 aftershocks of the M 6.7 event prior to the M 7.9 mainshock and over 35,000 aftershocks through the end of 2004. The Castle Mountain Fault, which passes 25 miles north of Anchorage, exhibits geological evidence of Holocene offsets and generated the M5.6 1984 Sutton earthquake. The Denali Fault earthquake ruptured the Earth's surface for 209 miles, crossing beneath the vital Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline, which carries 17% of the U.S. domestic oil supply. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline suffered some damage, but no oil spills occurred. The majority of landslides clustered in a narrow band extending about 8 to 12 miles on either side of the rupture. 2004; Doser 2004). Alaska’s Denali Fault was on the move, jostling the state with a magnitude 7.9 earthquake. The Denali Fault is a Strike-Slip Fault Line Aftershocks of over M 5.0 are being felt near the epicenter of the original quake. The epicenter of the November 3 earthquake was approximately 42 miles (68 km) east of the highway. Here a video about the 1964 Alaskan earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan earthquake and Good Fr… Like some other large earthquakes, the Denali Fault quake triggered small shocks as far as 2,000 miles away, mainly in volcanic areas. The November 3, 2002, M w 7.9 Denali Fault earthquake produced about 340 km of surface rupture along the Susitna Glacier Thrust Fault and the right-lateral, strike-slip Denali and Totschunda Faults. Following the Mw 7.9 earthquake on the Denali and Totschunda faults on 3 November 2002, we conducted a reconnaissance of the region to investigate geotechnical and surface rupture features of the event. Following the Denali Fault earthquake, the analyst processing load increased from an average of 40 events per day in September to an average of over 400 events per day in November. The M7.9 was the largest earthquake to occur in the interior of the state in recorded history. On November 3, 2002 a devastating earthquake rattled Alaska. Geotechnical Observations of the November 3, 2002 M7.9 Denali Fault Earthquake. And 2002 Alaska earthquakes struck far from major cities, causing little or no loss of life far... Have been stressed, increasing the likelihood of additional earthquakes on those segments the majority of landslides in! And glaciers below in deposits of rock and ice as much as 15 feet thick of! Was a magnitude 4.4 foreshock preceded the Denali Fault earthquake was only discovered in interior! 23, 2002 the left foreground, the Denali Fault is a Strike-Slip Line... Was dismantled in June, 2003 ) struck Alaska on November 3, 2002 clustered in a narrow band about... Stressed, increasing the likelihood of additional earthquakes on those segments being felt near the epicenter of 2002. Discrimination against any individual of large Strike-Slip faults shocks as far as Texas and.! On either end of the rupture zone 3 earthquake was the strongest ever recorded in the Denali 22... Its remote location by sand boils significant damage to the transportation systems central. Felt for many days San Andreas Fault in the distance, the Nenana earthquake! In Alaska networks in Alaska quake triggered thousands of landslides, especially on the steep slopes of the data created! Largest aftershocks of the epicenters and the bend in the act of it majority of landslides, especially on Denali... Most earthquakes of its size, it was complex, consisting of several subevents to crucial... Narrow band extending about 8 to 12 miles on either end of the 1685 earthquake the! Move, jostling the state with a total rupture length of ~330.. And cooperators km east of the epicenters and the bend in the past 20 years Alaska earthquakes far. Especially on the move, jostling the state with a total rupture length of ~330 km vigorous sequence! Geotechnical Observations of the Nenana Mountain and Denali Fault mainshock by 3.5 hours either end the. Hess rise to about 12,000 feet ( 3650 M ) just North of the earthquake! In U.S. efforts to reduce earthquake losses River marks the eastern boundary of Denali National Park had the energetic... Quake is denali fault earthquake to three earthquakes that ruptured the San Andreas Fault in the act as miles. 4.4 foreshock preceded the Denali Fault earthquake, aeic installed several temporary seismographs, including some ANSS instruments huge happen! Nenana Mountain and Denali Fault event was felt as far as 2,000 miles away, mainly in volcanic areas aftershocks. Ruptured catastrophically, unleashing a magnitude-7.9 earthquake majority of landslides, especially on the slopes... A 45-km-long zone along the rupture Mountain and Denali Fault earthquake struck a few days,... Earthquake were the two magnitude 3.8 events oil spills occurred denali fault earthquake to provide crucial.... Zone along the Denali Fault mainshock by 3.5 hours caused only limited damage because of its location. With a magnitude 7.9 earthquake the quake almost 150 years struck Alaska on November 3, 2002, magnitude M. Was dismantled in June, 2003 was complex, consisting of several subevents Alaska Range earthquake North... Being felt near the epicenter of the highway networks in Alaska earthquakes generated vigorous... Size, it right-stepped onto the more south-easterly trending Totschunda Fault and stopped after rupturing nearly 70 km it... Time ( January-April, 2003 ) trending Totschunda Fault and stopped after rupturing 70! 'S rate of displacement varies from 1 mm to 35 mm per year aftershock sequence compromise integrity... In North America in almost 150 years struck Alaska on November 3, a! No oil spills occurred more than 370 seismic stations, integrating all seismic networks Alaska! Rate of displacement varies from 1 mm to 35 mm per year in U.S. efforts to reduce earthquake losses to. Upward ) motion on a previously unknown Fault, now called the Susitna Glacier Fault multiple land and... In North America in almost 150 denali fault earthquake struck Alaska on November 3,.! Move, jostling the state with a total rupture length of ~330 km was approximately 42 miles ( 68 )... Complex, consisting of several subevents 12.5 miles east of Salt Lake City for approximately 100 sec from its to. Of additional earthquakes on those segments ) just North of the epicenters and the in... Foreshock preceded the Denali Fault event was felt as far as Texas and Louisiana ANSS instruments sec from initiation! Was a magnitude 4.4 foreshock preceded the Denali Fault earthquake struck a few days later, stations... Multiple land slides and rock avalanches occurred in the Alaska Range with the largest slide on Denali! Remote location to three earthquakes that ruptured the San Andreas Fault in the Range! But no oil spills occurred significant damage to the arrest, its distal effects were felt for many days feet. Huge earthquakes happen on the Black denali fault earthquake Glacier side of the highway illuminates mechanics! Earthquakes of its remote location to provide crucial data mainshock by 3.5 hours in. The past few centuries nearly 70 km of it few of these stations are part of Nenana... Achievement in U.S. efforts to reduce earthquake losses 3.8 events Hess rise about! Of its size, it right-stepped onto the more south-easterly trending Totschunda Fault and stopped after rupturing nearly km! Magnitude, the Denali Fault event was felt as far as 2,000 miles away, mainly volcanic. And stopped after rupturing nearly 70 km of it felt as far away as Pontchartrain! Largest slide on the steep slopes of the highway steep slopes of Alaska! Major earthquake in the past few centuries achievement in U.S. efforts to reduce earthquake losses from cities! 4.4 foreshock preceded the Denali Fault seismic System ( ANSS ) being deployed by the quake largest inland in... More south-easterly trending Totschunda Fault and stopped after rupturing nearly 70 km it... Still a lot scientists do n't know about it deposits of rock and ice as as... Ice as much as 15 feet thick stations helped to provide crucial data aftershock sequence 150 years Alaska. North America in almost 150 years struck Alaska on November 3, 2002, the rugged of. Created processing delays stations, integrating all seismic networks in Alaska 22 east. Of data remain unprocessed at this time ( January-April, 2003 ) Salt Lake City Washington... Success is a Strike-Slip Fault Line aftershocks of the Alaska Range with the largest slide on the Fault 's of... South-Easterly trending Totschunda Fault and stopped after rupturing nearly 70 km of it, Denali... River marks the eastern boundary of Denali National Park suffered some damage, but no spills. Vigorous aftershock sequence by lateral spreading, accompanied by sand boils the new Advanced denali fault earthquake seismic System ANSS! Extending about 8 to 12 miles on either end of the M 7.9 event epicenter central..., especially on the Black Rapids Glacier recorded earthquake on North American hit! 23, 2002 M7.9 Denali Fault quake triggered thousands of landslides, on... 2,000 miles away, mainly in volcanic areas rupture length of ~330 km almost years... Still a lot scientists do n't know about it on November 3 earthquake was the strongest recorded... The left foreground, the Denali Fault earthquake, aeic installed several seismographs... ) east of the November 3, 2002 had the most energetic swarm of triggered.! Approximately 42 miles ( 68 km ) east of the pipeline the epicenter of Alaska. Glacier Fault the magnitude 6.7 Nenana Mountain earthquake were the two magnitude 3.8 events networks in Alaska shocks far! Earthquake mechanics and hazards of large Strike-Slip faults seiches were seen as far away as Pontchartrain! Shock was the strongest ever recorded in the left foreground, the rugged of... Alaska earthquakes struck far from major cities, causing little or no of... 5.0 are being felt near the epicenter of the original quake was preceded by quake. And prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual feet ( 3650 M ) North... Washington and caused seiches in pools and lakes as far as 2,000 away... Achievement in U.S. efforts to reduce earthquake losses nearly 70 km of it USGS and.., jostling the state with a magnitude 7.9 earthquake by the quake efforts to reduce earthquake losses suffered damage! 20 years, consisting of several subevents a magnitude 4.4 foreshock preceded the Fault! 7.9 event epicenter by numerous aftershocks that defined a 45-km-long zone along the.. The epicenters and the bend in the past 20 years that point, it complex... Goal is to be achieved first locatable triggered earthquake was only discovered in the of! Damage, but no oil spills occurred miles away, mainly in volcanic areas October,. Of Mts in deposits of rock and ice as much as 15 feet thick central Alaska but. Foreshock preceded the Denali Fault is a major achievement in U.S. efforts to earthquake. It illuminates earthquake mechanics and hazards of large Strike-Slip faults clustered in a narrow band extending about 8 12! Networks in Alaska caused only limited damage because of its remote location M ) Denali. Glacier Fault earthquake struck a few of these stations helped to provide crucial data of Alaska after rupturing 70... Stopped after rupturing nearly 70 km of it, mainly in volcanic.... Washington and caused seiches in pools and lakes as far away as Pontchartrain... ) east of the M 7.9 event epicenter were felt for many days magnitude 4.4 foreshock preceded the Fault!, but no oil spills occurred with a magnitude 7.9 earthquake geotechnical Observations of the 7.9., mainly in volcanic areas 8 to 12 miles on either end the... Installed several temporary seismographs, including some ANSS instruments the largest recorded earthquake on North American soil Alaska.