Denali Fault Earthquake Information
On November 3, 2002 an impressive, magnitude 7.9 earthquake ruptured several faults along the Denali fault system. The Denali fault earthquake resulted from predominantly right-lateral offset along portions of the Denali and Totschunda fault systems in Alaska. Total length of the surface rupture was about 320 kilometers (200 miles). The western 49 km of the rupture shows mainly low-angle thrust offset as much as 1.5 m, with the northwest side up.
Denali Fault Earthquake Links
- Alaska Earthquake Information Center Denali Fault Earthquake page
- USGS/NEIC Denali Fault Earthquake Report
- InSAR and Land Surface Deformation associated with the Denali Fault Earthquake
- The Great M7.9 Denali Fault, Alaska , Earthquake of November 3, 2002 : Geotechnical Engineering Reconnaissance
- November 7 Fault Reconnaissance - Alaska Science Center
Earthquake Images
General location map.
Figure by Rod Combellick, DGGS.
Shown here are the epicenters of the November 3 event (red) and the magnitude 6.7 foreshock of October 23, 2002 (blue), as well as two previously recorded large shallow earthquakes (yellow) in the vicinity of the fault. Because there were few seismometers in the region at the time, the locations of the earlier events are poorly constrained. Shown in yellow are other faults that show evidence of activity during Quaternary time (past two million years). Numbers show the locations of some of the following photographs.
Figure by Rod Combellick, DGGS.
Locality 1, large debris flow, snow slides, and rock falls.
Photo by Dennis Trabant, USGS; mosaic by Rod March, USGS.
Locality 2, mosaic view of rock avalanches across Black Rapids Glacier.
Photo by Patty Craw, DGGS.
Locality 2, rock avalanches on Black Rapids Glacier. The ridge in the center is a medial moraine. The fault scarp is not visible in the photo. View is looking southeast.
Photo by Patty Craw, DGGS.
Locality 2, rock avalanche overriding Black Rapids Glacier. The ridge in the center is a medial moraine. The fault scarp is not visible in the photo. View is looking north.
Photo by Rod March, USGS.
Locality 2, closeup view of rock avalanche across Black Rapids Glacier.
Photo by Patty Craw, DGGS.
Locality 3, aerial view of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and Richardson Highway, looking north. Rupture along the fault resulted in approximately 2.5 meters (8 feet) displacement of the highway, with the north side moving east relative to the south side.
Photo by Patty Craw, DGGS.
Locality 3, Richardson Highway road offset. Photo looking south.
Photo by Rod Combellick, DGGS.
Locality 3, an aerial photo of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) line near the Denali fault, looking west. This is where the line is supported by rails on which it can move freely in the event of fault offset. Here the line has moved toward the west end of the rails. Alyeska Pipeline Service Company reported no breaks to the line and therefore no loss of oil. Note the transverse crack on the Richardson Highway in lower left. Out of view to the left (south) of this photo is a 2.5 m right-lateral offset of the highway where it crosses the fault.
Photo by Patty Craw, DGGS.
Locality 4, right-lateral displacement of 6.9 meters (22 feet) on Tok Cutoff.
Photo by Patty Craw, DGGS.
Offset crevasses on the Canwell Glacier.
Photo by Melanie Werdon, DGGS.
Cracked ice on pond, Alaska Range. This may be a result of the October 23, 2002 M6.7 earthquake in the same vicinity.
Photo by Rod Combellick, DGGS.
One of several incipient slope-parallel slides, the head of which is clearly marked by irregular tension cracks in the snow.
Photo by Melanie Werdon, DGGS.
Snow and rock slides on West Fork glacier. View looking southeast.
Photo by Rod March, USGS.
Southeast of Gillett Pass. Note the sackungen (ridge spreading due to earthquake motion) across the mountain side.
Photo by Soloy Helicopters.
Vertical displacement on a slope above Augustana Creek. Looking northeast.
Photo by Rod March, USGS.
Denali Fault trace and offshoots, Chistochina Glacier.
Photo by Patty Craw, DGGS.
Lateral displacement near the Chistochina River.
Photo by Patty Craw, DGGS.
Cooper Creek scarp.
Photo by Patty Craw, DGGS.
Cooper Creek scarp.
Photo by Patty Craw, DGGS.
Liquefaction at Fielding Lake.
Photo by Patty Craw, DGGS.
Liquefaction at Fielding Lake.
Photo by Patty Craw, DGGS.
Spruce tree split apart along the November 2002 Denali Fault rupture on the west side of the Richardson Hwy at mile 215.7. The curved tree trunk may be the result of damage to the tree during a pre-2002 fault rupture at the same location.