Great Quakes Series #3: Alaska 1964 Traditional Geocache

This cache has been archived.

Emmy-n-Sapphie: Too many problems with several of the stages, so I am archiving the series.

It was fun while it lasted. Thanks for visiting.

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Hidden : 7/25/2006
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

This small cache is part of The Great Quakes Series of six caches with a bonus 7th cache. Make sure you take note of the code at each cache so you can find the bonus! BYOP

One of the most fascinating parts of Physical Geography is the plate tectonics theory which helps explain volcanic formations and earthquakes, among other things. This series of caches is dedicated to some of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded. A Great Quake is one that has a magnitude of 8.0 or greater.

The Good Friday Earthquake (also called the Great Alaska Earthquake) of March 27, 1964, was the most powerful earthquake in U.S. and North American history. The magnitude 9.2 earthquake was centered in Prince William Sound off the coast of South Central Alaska. The earthquake occurred when a fault between the Pacific and North American plates ruptured 14 miles beneath the Earth’s surface. The earthquake lasted for three to five minutes in most areas, which is an eternity for an earthquake. Ocean floor shifts generated a tsunami that devastated many towns along the Gulf of Alaska (including Seward, Cordova, and Kodiak which were totally destroyed), and left serious damage at Alberni and Port Alberni, Canada, along the coast of Washington and Oregon (15 killed), and in Hawaii. The maximum wave height recorded was 219 FEET at Valdez Inlet. Seiche action in rivers, lakes, bayous, and protected harbors and waterways along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas caused minor damage. It was also recorded on tide gages in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Vertical displacement of up to 38 feet occurred, affecting an area of 100,000 miles² within Alaska. 131 people were killed as a result of the earthquake: nine in the earthquake itself (all in Anchorage), 115 from tsunamis in Alaska, and 16 from tsunamis in Oregon and California. Property damage was estimated at over $300 million ($1.8 billion in 2006 U.S. dollars). Anchorage was especially hard hit. Because of landslides, The Turnagain Heights residential area simply slid into the sea destroying 75 private houses and killing three people. Virtually all of downtown Anchorage was wiped out in this devastating earthquake.

I have a personal connecction to this earthquake - my brother-in-law was a kid living in Anchorage when this earthquake happened. His description of this quake and its aftermath is terrifying.

This earthquake occurred in the so-called Ring of Fire region, an area around the margins of the Pacific Ocean where approximately 3/4ths of the Earth’s volcanoes are located. This is a zone where the Pacific plate meets many other plates. As a result of the collisions between these plates, the Ring of Fire is the most seismically active zone in the world. More earthquakes and volcanic eruptions happen here than anywhere else on Earth. To see a map of the Ring of Fire, go to (visit link) For more information on the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964, go to (visit link) For more information on earthquakes in general, go to (visit link) For more information on the plate tectonic theory, go to (visit link).

In keeping with my philosophy that Physical Geography affects you every single day of your life, we have hidden these caches in everyday places. I drive by here every day on my way to work. BYOP

UPDATE: September 24, 2007 I am having a lot of trouble with several stages of this series. Therefore I have decided to archive the whole series on Oct 15th. If you plan to do the series, please do so before Oct 15th. It was fun while it lasted. Thanks for visiting - hope you learned something.

Congratulations to grn beret 2b on the FTF!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Vg jba'g ovgr - ubarfg!

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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