h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey Shanana, I've just seen that Alaska got hit with a big earthquake a few days ago! Did you feel it? What was it like?

Woodpigeon

Sorry I'm so late in responding... finaly year before Uni.. going insane trying to keep my life in one piece. Anyhow, the earthquake.

IT WAS AWESOME!

We get lots of earthquakes, so it wasn't tremendously out of the ordinary, I thought. However, I should have been tipped off by the fact that we had had three earthquakes of decent magnitude in as many weeks. My family and I had started guessing magnitudes for the fun of it and usually we're pretty ok at guessing correctly. Not this time.

It was about 1pm or so in the afternoon and my mother, brother and I were standing in the kitchen after church, chatting about something. There was a gradual sort of wavy motion, but I thought it was just my equilibrium acting up again until Sean said "Are you feeling that, too?" And we all agreed. So I peeked out the window and saw that the trees were shaking.. but not like they usually do during an earthquake. It looked like transverse waves were going vertically up them. Then I saw that the earth was rolling and we all started to get a bit sea-sick because of the rolling and pitching.

Not one to take chances, I immediately demanded my family get into the doorway of the kitchen because the waves I was seeing were surface transversal waves - the kinds that do damage. And they were very noticeable. About the point we all got into the doorway, the waves moved on and all was well. Total, we guestimated the length at 2 minutes or so (which was quite long, mind you).

There was no shaking, no loud boom, no real noticable impact. Except the sea-sickness. We then guessed that it muct have been about a 6 or so and probably from around the fault about 40 miles north of Anchorage in Wasilla that had been moving about a bit and had caused the other two quakes. So we went on with out lives.

As usual, I go on the bus and the whole school was abuzz with the story of the earthquake. Except everyone else watched the news and knew more than I did. I still ran around, claiming it was a 6er until I saw the newspaper after lunch - saw the roads, the pipeline, the devastation. And then I saw that it was a 7.4 and people in Louisianna felt it due to the shallow nature of it. I was floored. I thank God that the worst damage aside from monetary was just a broken arm.

Best of all, the President finally acknowledged that it was a disater zone and the people of Tok and the state of Alaska are getting funds to rebuild and are pretty much done for now.

<*falls on the floor in total shock*>



I'm speechless! I think I posted this around the time of a smaller quake a few days before, but little was I to know that the big one was on its way! Strangely though, most people probably don't know that the biggest earthquake *of the year* hit right in your back yard.

I will post your account to the Living Earth page in a few days (unfortunately I am online for only a short period right now).

Yours, amazed,

Woodpigeon

Thanks oodles!

Anyhow, with my latest disappearance, what have I been missing on h2g2? Nothing too exciting I hope, because then I'd just be depressed at my own pitifulness..

Well, maybe not. Anything lately occured on Living Earth? *goes and checks*

As lovely as you put it, I can't say that ours was the biggest earthquake of the year... I think Afghanistan beat us out once, as did Turkey. However, you could say we had the most *miraculous* earthquake of the year..... I dunno. I'll see how you put it.

Ha!!! I *KNEW* I wasn't insane. The other day, I was at the bank in a mall downtown when I could have sworn there was an earthquake. I mused and said "Huh. I think it's an earthquake." But was promptly ignored. Then I walked out into the foyer and a few leaves were rattling on the trees(sure sign of seismic disturbances).

Well, no one else seemed to notice, so I thought I had lost my mind - yet I hadn't - there I just found it on the USGS webpage - 29 Dec, 2002. (Ironically, I was getting some cash exchanged to pounds sterling). Since then, there have been looks to be a dozen or so aftershocks. I had no idea.

So, now I'm officially freaked out - the Denali Park area is *never* this active. And Denali's not a volcano, but there are several others in the near vicinity... most of which are active. Do you think it has any impact on that, or is it just building up stress for the "big one" here in Anch/Prince William Sound? *Goes off to do research*

Well here's hoping not! Maybe the earthquake of November has eased the pressure somewhat.

I have not updated the Living Earth page for a week or two, but hopefully I will get to it in the next few days. (I used to do it during breaks at work, but now that that facility is no longer available to me, I have to do it at night time instead over a very slooow line! Such is life!)

Wow - Alaska - earthquakes, Aurorae, volcanos . It sounds like one seriously amazing place. I would love to go there, although Iceland might be a bit more practical in the near term!

Talk soon,

Woodpigeon

Hi Shanana, eventually I have been able to update the Living Earth page and to get your account posted to the Researcher's Experiences Page!

Thanks a lot!

Woodpigeon