USGS Scientist Taking Notes in the Field, near Prehistoric Drift Log

Geologist takes field notes to document the discovery of a 30-foot long driftlog stranded more than 0.5 mi inland at Stardust Bay on the remote Alaskan island of Sedanka. The log, stranded at an elevation of more than 60 feet above sea level, was carried inland and deposited in 1957 by a large tsunami generated by the magnitude 8.6 Andreanof Islands earthquake. The elevation of the driftlog provides an estimate of the minimum runup of tsunami waves.

Location: Stardust Bay, Sedanka Island, Alaska