Question

Growing up in Valdez, Alaska, 13-year-old Tom Gilson had been through many earthquakes. Every few months, the ground under Tom’s feet shivered for a moment. The walls of his family’s small house shook. But Tom never worried about it. To him, a little shaking was a normal part of life in Alaska. It was no different from seeing bears at the river. Then came March 27, 1964. At 5:36 p.m., the ground in Copyright ©2023 Lauren Tarshis southern Alaska began to shake. This time, it didn’t stop. Seconds passed. Then minutes. The violent shaking continued. Up and down the coast, cliffsides crashed into the sea. Giant waves smashed into towns and villages. Tom had no idea that he was caught in the middle of the Great Alaska Earthquake. It was the most powerful quake ever to strike the United States. All Tom was thinking was that the world was ending.  were mountains, rivers, forests, and vast, half-frozen plains called tundra. Tiny villages and towns were scattered far apart. In 1964, only 263,000 people lived in Alaska. That would fill just three football stadiums. Alaska’s largest city was Anchorage. It had a bustling downtown. There was a bowling alley and TV and radio stations. Kids could watch hit shows like Mister Ed, about a talking horse. They could sing along to popular songs on the radio. Valdez was 120 miles away. It was nothing like Anchorage. But it was bigger than most towns in the state: 600 people lived there. Tom went to a lively public school. He played Little League baseball in the summer and basketball in the winter. He could buy treats from his uncle George’s grocery store. But Valdez was isolated. Outside town, Tom was more likely to see a bear than another human being. There was no bowling alley. There wasn’t even a dentist. Tom had Shutterstock.com (background); Jim McMahon/Mapman® (map); H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images (Valdez) A Brand-New State That morning, there was no hint of the coming disaster. The sky was gray. But Tom’s mood was bright. It was the holiday Good Friday. To

Answer 1

The movement of tectonic plates causes earthquakes, such as the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964. Major earthquakes provide critical information about Earth's interior and highlight the importance of preparedness. Examples include the 2011 earthquake in Japan and historic seismic events along the San Andreas Fault in California and the Great Kanto Earthquake in Tokyo.

Earthquakes demonstrate the dynamic nature of our planet, often caused by the movement of tectonic plates. An example of this is the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964, which was the most powerful quake to strike the United States.

This and other earthquakes provide valuable insights into Earth's interior and the forces that shape our world.

Japan's 2011 earthquake off the coast of Honshu, which led to over 15,500 deaths, was another significant seismic event, also causing a devastating tsunami.

The regularity of seismic activity at plate boundaries acts as reminders of the inherent geological risks associated with living near these zones, such as those experienced in California with the San Andreas Fault and historically, in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake in Japan.

Studying these events helps us understand the Earth's geology and the importance of preparedness and resilient infrastructure to minimize the impact of such natural disasters.