Academic research
1964 M9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake: Impacts
Alaska Earthquake Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Where this source supports the record
Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.
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Natural disasters · 27 March 1964Open article references →
The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami
Prince William Sound rupture zone and south-central Alaska · United States
Why editors use it hereUniversity research-center synthesis of the shaking, landslides, tsunamis, casualties, and scientific legacy.
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Quick read
A magnitude 9.2 earthquake ruptured the Alaska–Aleutian subduction zone for roughly four and a half minutes, making it the most powerful earthquake recorded in United States history.
Reviewed 24 July 2026 -
Trigger and conditions
The Pacific Plate thrust beneath the North American Plate, abruptly displacing an immense section of the seafloor and coastline.
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Uncertainty
Fatality totals vary slightly by source depending on whether indirect deaths and distant tsunami losses are included.
Reviewed 24 July 2026 -
Why it matters
The event made cascading coastal risk visible at continental scale.
Reviewed 24 July 2026
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Quick read