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Maps showing seismic landslide hazards in Anchorage, Alaska

July 1, 2014

The devastating landslides that accompanied the great 1964 Alaska earthquake showed that seismically triggered landslides are one of the greatest geologic hazards in Anchorage. Maps quantifying seismic landslide hazards are therefore important for planning, zoning, and emergency-response preparation. The accompanying maps portray seismic landslide hazards for the following conditions: (1) deep, translational landslides, which occur only during great subduction-zone earthquakes that have return periods of =300-900 yr; (2) shallow landslides for a peak ground acceleration (PGA) of 0.69 g, which has a return period of 2,475 yr, or a 2 percent probability of exceedance in 50 yr; and (3) shallow landslides for a PGA of 0.43 g, which has a return period of 475 yr, or a 10 percent probability of exceedance in 50 yr. Deep, translational landslide hazards were delineated based on previous studies of such landslides, with some modifications based on field observations of locations of deep landslides. Shallow-landslide hazards were delineated using a Newmark-type displacement analysis for the two probabilistic ground motions modeled.

Publication Year 2014
Title Maps showing seismic landslide hazards in Anchorage, Alaska
DOI 10.3133/70058880
Authors Randall W. Jibson
Publication Type Conference Paper
Publication Subtype Conference Paper
Index ID 70058880
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Geologic Hazards Science Center