From the Geology Desk

Yesterday, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck north of Anchorage, Alaska at 8:29 a.m. local time. The earthquake was caused by the tectonic motion of the Pacific Plate slipping beneath the North American Plate along the Aleutian arc.

The Aleutian arc extends approximately 3,000 km from the Gulf of Alaska in the east to Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula in the west and marks the region where the Pacific plate sinks into the mantle beneath the North America plate. This process, subduction, created the Aleutian Islands and the deep, offshore Aleutian Trench. The region exhibits intense volcanic activity and has a history of megathrust earthquakes.

Most of the seismicity along the Aleutian arc results from the thrust faulting that occurs at the interface between the Pacific and North America plates. Slippage along this interface generates the devastating megathrust earthquakes. Normal faulting occur in the outer rise region of the Aleutian arc due to bending of the oceanic Pacific plate as it enters the Aleutian trench. Additionally, deformation of the overriding North America plate generates shallow crustal earthquakes.

The March 28, 1964 Prince William Sound earthquake is still the second largest earthquake (magnitude 9.2) ever recorded in the world. The event resulted in a rupture extending from Prince William Sound to the southern end of Kodiak Island. Extensive damage was recorded in Kenai, Moose Pass, and Kodiak, but significant shaking was felt over a large region of Alaska, parts of western Yukon Territory, and British Columbia.  Property damage was the largest in Anchorage, as a result of both shaking from the main shock and from the ensuing landslides. This megathrust earthquake also triggered a devastating tsunami that caused damage along the Gulf of Alaska, the West Coast of the United States, and Hawaii.

Amazingly and most fortunately, so far no deaths have been reported from the earthquake.  It appears that after the events of 1964, Alaskans have been prepared for these events and building codes require magnitude 9.0 standards.  See the good things that happen when you listen to the scientists, climate change deniers?   Also, no tsunamis were generated by the quake.  Possibly most amazingly of all, that white pitcher never fell off the table in the Anchorage Courthouse.

We're glad there wasn't more tragedy associated with the massive earthquake.  Now we can focus for the rest of the day on the truly important matter: Georgia versus Alabama in the SEC Championship Game!