Preliminary Observations in the Aftermath of the November 30, 2018 Anchorage, Alaska Earthquake

In the days following the November 30, 7.0M Anchorage earthquake, SOM engineering team Samantha Walker and Patrick Murren deployed to Alaska on a reconnaissance effort to chronicle building performance, view damaged buildings, and collaborate with the structural and earthquake engineering communities at large. The team spent several days in Anchorage and south-central Alaska documenting the visible damage via exterior building assessments, walkthroughs with building owners and tenants, and onsite observations where ground failures occurred. This paper documents the team’s observations, describes the seismology of south-central Alaska, and provides context for the team’s findings in relation to the Good Friday Earthquake of 1964. In collaboration with local structural and geotechnical engineers, the information gathered is being shared with the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) reconnaissance teams in support of the organization’s mission to mitigate earthquake risk around the world.

Read the Report: Preliminary Observations in the Aftermath of the November 30, 2018 Anchorage, Alaska Earthquake2018Preliminary Observations in the Aftermath of the November 30, 2018 Anchorage, Alaska Earthquake (4.6 MB PDF)