Remembering the Great Alaska Earthquake of March 27, 1964.

Also known as the "Good Friday Earthquake," this seismic event measured 9.2 on the Richter scale and was centered just off the coast of South Central Alaska in Prince William Sound. The fault between the North American plate and the Pacific plate ruptured shaking the Earth for about five minutes. This caused up to 33-feet of uplift in some areas, as other areas subsided below sea level, leaving such towns as Valdez, Girdwood and Portage, and many smaller Native villages within the Kenai Peninsula and the Kodiak Islands completely destroyed.

The quake spawned a tsunami with waves measuring up to 50 feet that ruined both the Seward and Kodiak ports in Alaska. The tsunami was also blamed in the deaths of 131 people along the coasts of Alaska, California, and Oregon, and destroyed several hundred homes along the Canadian coastline.

Becoming the third most powerful earthquake in North American history, the Great Alaska Earthquake was felt around the world, sinking boats along the coast of Louisiana and sloshing water in South African wells.

Today the USGS continues to study and monitor the incredibly active tectonic region in and around Alaska in an effort to promote awareness and preparedness for possible future seismic events.

To view USGS research and publications regarding the Great Alaska Earthquake and learn more about this event, visit the USGS Publications Warehouse.