Earthquake in Anchorage

[jeblaw]

This was in the news yesterday. Although it was not a biggie, I just wondered if anyone that was in town during the quake might comment on the event !

Alaska: Quake Shakes Anchorage

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

Published: June 17, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 shook Anchorage and other parts of the state’s most populated region on Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The Anchorage Fire Department did not get any calls in the immediate aftermath, said a dispatcher, Lori Zaumseil, who shrugged off the quake. “This is Alaska,” she said. “This is how we roll. We’re tough.”

[PennyAgain]

It wasn't felt much in Anchorage.

 

There are many earthquakes in Anchorage. Lots and lots of small ones. Part of life. The legend is that the small ones prevent the big ones. Some visitors feel they are having dizzy spells when in fact it is just the little earthquakes.

[greatam]

This was in the news yesterday. Although it was not a biggie, I just wondered if anyone that was in town during the quake might comment on the event !

Alaska: Quake Shakes Anchorage

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

Published: June 17, 2011

 

 

 

 

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 shook Anchorage and other parts of the state’s most populated region on Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The Anchorage Fire Department did not get any calls in the immediate aftermath, said a dispatcher, Lori Zaumseil, who shrugged off the quake. “This is Alaska,” she said. “This is how we roll. We’re tough.”

 

Earthquakes are a fact of life in Alaska. MANY, MANY every day. Take a look at the earthquake activity for yesterday.

 

http://www.aeic.alaska.edu/recent/sub/index.html

[PennyAgain]

Earthquakes are a fact of life in Alaska. MANY, MANY every day. Take a look at the earthquake activity for yesterday.

 

http://www.aeic.alaska.edu/recent/sub/index.html

 

As usual GreatAm, glad to see a post from you.

[jeblaw]

Great information! Thank you for the link. That is really fascinating.

[MJN]

We are booked on a cruise/tour leaving July 8th out of Vancouver. While on our trip we will also be visiting friends who have lived in Homer for 40 years. I sent her an e-mail yesterday telling her I had heard about their earthquake on foxnews.com yesterday and she said she felt it but thought she had misteped on the way to the copy machine at work. Then her boss was on a video conference with another office and saw some things swaying in the background! She said she checked the earthquake report and there had been 148 earthquakes between 4pm Monday the 13th and yesterday afternoon. They had already had 4 aftershocks by the time she replied to my e-mail. YIKES. There are 4 (currently) dormant volcanoes that circle the Kachemak bay!

[AkSusan]

Can't quite figure out why a 5.2 got so much attention and hit the national news. Had people checking up on me.

 

A 5.2 is little in the scheme of life up here. If you look at the Earthquake page you can see how many we have a day.

 

Besides dormant volcanos in the area, we have a couple that decide to be active ever so often like, Mt. Redoubt (that had another little episode last year after having a heck of a year the year before).

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[AKKarl]

I was on the ground floor of a five story building in Anchorage with four other people. The one person who was seated felt it. One other person heard the building creak and three of us did not even notice it.

 

Strange that it would get national news.

[mckieclan]

No international news. Here in London it flashed across our television screens just as we were going to bed. Had visions of having to cancel our cruise next week but on looking on-line and not finding much about it, went to bed reassured.

[ceetee]

Earthquakes are a fact of life in Alaska. MANY, MANY every day. Take a look at the earthquake activity for yesterday.

 

http://www.aeic.alaska.edu/recent/sub/index.html

 

That is the most fascinating map of earthquakes. I had never heard about the amount of quakes that go on daily in Alaska. Thanks for the link.

[believer33323]

It was probably due to Global Warming and they felt one of the Glaciers falling (LOL)

[Chenega]

Earthquakes are very common up here since we live on the famous "Ring of Fire" that circles the Pacific Ocean. We have the same situation that exists in Japan, the Philippines, and the west coast of South America that produces volcanic eruptions and the occasional large quakes and tsunamis. Shakers are very common up here and not unexpected. The 9.2 magnitude quake of 1964 was the same magnitude as Japan's March earthquake.

 

I teach this stuff in my college-level classes in Anchorage and younger students are often amazed to find that we live in one of the most seismically active areas of the world.

 

Two great websites to learn about these events are the Alaska Earthquake Information Center at the University of Alaska (http://www.aeic.alaska.edu) and the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (http://www.tsunami.gov).

 

For independent travelers with a car, the Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer (about a hour north of Anchorage) offers free public tours on Fridays at 1,2, and 3pm. It's one of two facilities in the United States (the other is Hawaii) and its a place in Alaska that few visitors ever see.

 

Just noticed that there was a 4.9 quake today off the west coast of Vancouver Island. Once again, it's all part of living on the Ring of Fire :)