A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck north of Anchorage, Alaska, on November 30, 2018, at 8:29 a.m. local time (17:29:28 UTC).
Return to Hazards >> Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards
Did You Feel It?
Map of shaking intensity based on 15,000+ reports from citizens who experienced the earthquake.
USGS Event page
Tectonic summary, maps and data. The USGS event page has the most up-to-date information, and for estimates of casualties and damage, visit the USGS Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) website.
Shakemap
Map showing ground motion and shaking intensity based on instrumental measurements of shaking along with information about local geology and the earthquake’s location and magnitude.
Anchorage Office Building Shaking Visualizations
These videos presents a visualization of how the Frontier Building, Atwood Building and BP Building in Anchorage, Alaska, shook during the moment magnitude (Mw) 7.1 November 30, 2018, Anchorage, Alaska, earthquake. The buildings were instrumented by U.S. Geological Survey to obtain data to study its behavior and performance during strong shaking. Such data are useful in making decisions about improving the performance of this and similar buildings.
Credit for each video: Mehmet Çelebi, USGS (Public domain.)
An earlier video of the Frontier Building visualizing shaking during the Mw 7.1 January 24, 2016, Iniskin, Alaska, earthquake can be found at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6EG7NXel9g.
An earlier video of the Atwood building visualizing shaking during the Mw7.1 January 24, 2016, Iniskin, Alaska, earthquake is available.
In the News
- 12/05/19: KTVA: Lessons Learned - various segments
- 12/03/19: Inside Anchorage’s big 2018 earthquake, a ‘Snickers bar’ of shifting layers
- 12/01/19: As the Earth Breaks
- 11/29/19: How a few seconds of shifting deep below the Earth’s surface caused the biggest earthquake in Anchorage since 1964
- 11/25/19: Frontiers 191: Web Extra: The November 30 Alaska Earthquake
- 11/25/19: Frontiers 191: Magnitude 7.1 - Pieces of the Puzzle
- 11/01/19: Findings from the bottom of Eklutna Lake: USGS scientists reflect on months of earthquake research
- 10/22/19: Deep Landslides Not Reactivated by 2018 Anchorage Quake
- 04/26/19: Reconnaissance After Anchorage Quake Finds Signs of Ground Failure
- 02/17/19: Geologists researching Eklutna Lake sediment for earthquake evidence
- 12/11/18: Alaska Frontiers 162: A Tale of Two Earthquakes
- 12/04/18: USGS scientist: It could have been worse
- 11/30/18: USGS News Release
Symposium and Talks
- 11/20/19: Fireside Chat: Did You Feel It?
- 09/24-26/19: One Year Later: Symposium on the 2018 M7.1 Anchorage Earthquake
- Thirty USGS scientists from around the country, including the Alaska Region and the Alaska Science Center, participated in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Alaska Earthquake Workshop, held in Anchorage, AK. This symposium, focused on the 2018 M7.1 Anchorage Earthquake and its consequences, and highlighted the research that has already occurred in the past year and will stimulate new investigations and collaborations to make the most of this learning opportunity.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards
Below are publications associated with this project.
Ground failure triggered by shaking during the November 30, 2018, magnitude 7.1 Anchorage, Alaska, earthquake
Ground failure from the Anchorage, Alaska, earthquake of 30 November 2018
The 30 November 2018 Mw7.1 Anchorage Earthquake
2018 Anchorage Earthquake
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck north of Anchorage, Alaska, on November 30, 2018, at 8:29 a.m. local time (17:29:28 UTC). For the most up-to-date information, please visit the USGS event page, and for estimates of casualties and damage, visit the USGS Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) website.
- Overview
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck north of Anchorage, Alaska, on November 30, 2018, at 8:29 a.m. local time (17:29:28 UTC).
Return to Hazards >> Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards
USGS scientists, working with researchers from the University of Ghent, probed the floor of Eklutna Lake, Anchorage Borough, Alaska, for evidence of turbidity currents triggered by strong shaking during the 2018 Mw7.1 Anchorage earthquake. In this photo, USGS scientist Peter Haeussler points to a dark layer at the top of a sediment core taken from the floor of Eklutna Lake. Research demonstrated that this dark layer, called a turbidite, was deposited on the lake floor after the 2018 earthquake. Field research took place in February 2019 when the lake was frozen, which allowed scientists to drill through the ice to collect 32 sediment cores. The deepest part of the lake exceeds 55 m (180 feet) (See SRL article by Van Daele et al., 2019, in press).(Credit: Rob Witter, USGS. Public domain.) Did You Feel It?
Map of shaking intensity based on 15,000+ reports from citizens who experienced the earthquake.
USGS Event page
Tectonic summary, maps and data. The USGS event page has the most up-to-date information, and for estimates of casualties and damage, visit the USGS Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) website.
Shakemap
Map showing ground motion and shaking intensity based on instrumental measurements of shaking along with information about local geology and the earthquake’s location and magnitude.
Anchorage Office Building Shaking Visualizations
These videos presents a visualization of how the Frontier Building, Atwood Building and BP Building in Anchorage, Alaska, shook during the moment magnitude (Mw) 7.1 November 30, 2018, Anchorage, Alaska, earthquake. The buildings were instrumented by U.S. Geological Survey to obtain data to study its behavior and performance during strong shaking. Such data are useful in making decisions about improving the performance of this and similar buildings.
Credit for each video: Mehmet Çelebi, USGS (Public domain.)
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.This video presents a visualization of how the Frontier Building in Anchorage, Alaska, shook during the moment magnitude (Mw) 7.0 November 30, 2018, Anchorage, Alaska, earthquake.
An earlier video of the Frontier Building visualizing shaking during the Mw 7.1 January 24, 2016, Iniskin, Alaska, earthquake can be found at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6EG7NXel9g.Sources/Usage: Public Domain.This video presents a visualization of how the Atwood Building in Anchorage, Alaska, shook during the Mw 7.0 November 30, 2018, Anchorage, Alaska, earthquake.
An earlier video of the Atwood building visualizing shaking during the Mw7.1 January 24, 2016, Iniskin, Alaska, earthquake is available.Sources/Usage: Public Domain.This video presents a visualization of how the BP Exploration Building in Anchorage, Alaska, shook during the moment magnitude (Mw) 7.0 November 30, 2018, Anchorage, Alaska, earthquake. In the News
- 12/05/19: KTVA: Lessons Learned - various segments
- 12/03/19: Inside Anchorage’s big 2018 earthquake, a ‘Snickers bar’ of shifting layers
- 12/01/19: As the Earth Breaks
- 11/29/19: How a few seconds of shifting deep below the Earth’s surface caused the biggest earthquake in Anchorage since 1964
- 11/25/19: Frontiers 191: Web Extra: The November 30 Alaska Earthquake
- 11/25/19: Frontiers 191: Magnitude 7.1 - Pieces of the Puzzle
- 11/01/19: Findings from the bottom of Eklutna Lake: USGS scientists reflect on months of earthquake research
- 10/22/19: Deep Landslides Not Reactivated by 2018 Anchorage Quake
- 04/26/19: Reconnaissance After Anchorage Quake Finds Signs of Ground Failure
- 02/17/19: Geologists researching Eklutna Lake sediment for earthquake evidence
- 12/11/18: Alaska Frontiers 162: A Tale of Two Earthquakes
- 12/04/18: USGS scientist: It could have been worse
- 11/30/18: USGS News Release
Symposium and Talks
- 11/20/19: Fireside Chat: Did You Feel It?
- 09/24-26/19: One Year Later: Symposium on the 2018 M7.1 Anchorage Earthquake
- Thirty USGS scientists from around the country, including the Alaska Region and the Alaska Science Center, participated in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Alaska Earthquake Workshop, held in Anchorage, AK. This symposium, focused on the 2018 M7.1 Anchorage Earthquake and its consequences, and highlighted the research that has already occurred in the past year and will stimulate new investigations and collaborations to make the most of this learning opportunity.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards
Alaska has more large earthquakes than the rest of the United States combined. More than three-quarters of the state’s population live in an area that can experience a magnitude 7 earthquake. Our research provides objective science that helps stakeholders prepare for and mitigate the effects of future earthquakes and tsunamis, which bolsters the economic health and well-being of Alaska and the... - Multimedia
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Ground failure triggered by shaking during the November 30, 2018, magnitude 7.1 Anchorage, Alaska, earthquake
We developed an initial inventory of ground failure features from the November 30, 2018, magnitude 7.1 Anchorage earthquake. This inventory of 153 features is from ground-based observations soon after the earthquake (December 5–10) that include the presence or absence of liquefaction, landslides, and individual crack traces of lateral spreads and incipient landslides. This is not a complete inventAuthorsAlex R. R. Grant, Randall W. Jibson, Robert C. Witter, Kate E. Allstadt, Eric M. Thompson, Adrian M. BenderGround failure from the Anchorage, Alaska, earthquake of 30 November 2018
Investigation of ground failure triggered by the 2018 MwMw 7.1 Anchorage earthquake showed that landslides, liquefaction, and ground cracking all occurred and caused significant damage. Shallow rock falls and rock slides were the most abundant types of landslides, but they occurred in smaller numbers than global models that are based on earthquake magnitude predict; this might result from the 2018AuthorsRandall W. Jibson, Alex R. R. Grant, Robert C. Witter, Kate E. Allstadt, Eric M. Thompson, Adrian BenderThe 30 November 2018 Mw7.1 Anchorage Earthquake
The Mw 7.1 47 km deep earthquake that occurred on 30 November 2018 had deep societal impacts across southcentral Alaska and exhibited phenomena of broad scientific interest. We document observations that point to future directions of research and hazard mitigation. The rupture mechanism, aftershocks, and deformation of the mainshock are consistent with extension inside the Pacific plate near the dAuthorsMichael E. West, Adrian Bender, Matthew Gardine, Lea Gardine, Kara Gately, Peter J. Haeussler, Wael Hassan, Franz Meyer, Cole Richards, Natalia Ruppert, Carl Tape, John Thornley, Robert Witter - News
2018 Anchorage Earthquake
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck north of Anchorage, Alaska, on November 30, 2018, at 8:29 a.m. local time (17:29:28 UTC). For the most up-to-date information, please visit the USGS event page, and for estimates of casualties and damage, visit the USGS Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) website.