1957 Andreanof Islands earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 1957 Andreanof Islands earthquake was a magnitude 8.6 MW
(8.3 Ms
) megathrust earthquake
that took place on March 9, 1957. It was centered at 51.5°N 175.7°W in the Alaska-Aleutian megathrust
, south of the Andreanof Islands
group of the Aleutian Islands in the U.S. state of Alaska
.
The earthquake
caused damage to infrastructure on Adak Island
and Umnak Island, as well as causing an eruption of long-dormant volcano
Mount Vsevidof
. It also caused a tsunami
that reached a height of 16 meters (52 ft) and caused around $5,000,000 in damage in Hawaii
, destroying two villages on Oahu
, and two bridges in the Aleutian region. No lives were lost in either the earthquake or the tsunami.
it remains the fourth largest-magnitude quake in the United States
.
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
(8.3 Ms
Surface wave magnitude
The surface wave magnitude scale is one of the magnitude scales used in seismology to describe the size of an earthquake. It is based on measurements in Rayleigh surface waves that travel primarily along the uppermost layers of the earth...
) megathrust earthquake
Megathrust earthquake
Megathrust earthquakes occur at subduction zones at destructive plate boundaries , where one tectonic plate is forced under another. Due to the shallow dip of the plate boundary, which causes large sections to get stuck, these earthquakes are among the world's largest, with moment magnitudes ...
that took place on March 9, 1957. It was centered at 51.5°N 175.7°W in the Alaska-Aleutian megathrust
Alaska-Aleutian megathrust
Alaska is a a seismically active state, perhaps the more so than any of the other states in the United States. The Alaskan-Aleutian megathrust faultline which runs along the coast of Alaska is also considered to be a fault line that is characteristically longer than the Cascadia Fault-line that...
, south of the Andreanof Islands
Andreanof Islands
The Andreanof Islands are a group of islands in the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska. They are located between Amchitka Pass and the Rat Islands group to the west, and Amukta Pass and the Islands of Four Mountains group to the east, at about 52° North and 172°57' to 179°09' West. The islands...
group of the Aleutian Islands in the U.S. state of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.
The earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
caused damage to infrastructure on Adak Island
Adak Island
Adak Island is an island near the western extent of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Alaska's southernmost town, Adak, is located on the island...
and Umnak Island, as well as causing an eruption of long-dormant volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
Mount Vsevidof
Mount Vsevidof
Mount Vsevidof is a stratovolcano in the U.S. state of Alaska. Its summit is the highest point on Umnak Island, one of the eastern Aleutian Islands. Its symmetrical cone rises abruptly from its surroundings. Its most recent eruption was caused by an earthquake on March 9, 1957...
. It also caused a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
that reached a height of 16 meters (52 ft) and caused around $5,000,000 in damage in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, destroying two villages on Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, and two bridges in the Aleutian region. No lives were lost in either the earthquake or the tsunami.
it remains the fourth largest-magnitude quake in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.