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Denali Fault
Earthquake
M7.9
November 3, 2002
 The magnitude 7.9 Denali fault earthquake of November 3, 2002 resulted from right-lateral offset along portions of the Denali and Totschunda fault systems in Alaska. Total length of the rupture was at least 300 km (190 miles). Shown here are the epicenters of the November 3 event (red) and the preceding magnitude 6.7 event 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. |
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 Locality 1 on Map. Large debris flow, snow slides, and rock falls. Photo by Rod Combellick, DGGS. | ||||
 Locality 2 on Map. 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 Patty Craw, DGGS. | ||||
 Locality 2 on Map. 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 on Map. Mosaic view of rock avalanches across Black Rapids Glacier. Photo by Dennis Trabant, USGS; mosaic by Rod March, USGS. | ||||
 Locality 2 on Map. Closeup view of rock avalanche across Black Rapids Glacier. Photo by Rod March, USGS. | ||||
 Locality 3 on Map. 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 on Map. Richardson Highway road offset. Photo looking south. Photo by Patty Craw, DGGS. | ||||
 Locality 3 on Map. 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 Rod Combellick, DGGS. | ||||
 Locality 4 on Map. 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 Patty Craw, 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 Melanie Werdon, DGGS. | ||||
 Possible earthquake-induced "sackung", or spreading of a steep-sided ridge, clearly marked by breaks in snow. Photo by Rod Combellick, DGGS. | ||||
 Snow and rock slides on West Fork glacier. View looking southeast. Photo by Melanie Werdon, DGGS. | ||||
 Southeast of Gilbert Pass. Note the fault trace across the mountain side. Photo by Rod March, USGS. | ||||
 Patty Craw, DGGS, and Peter Haeussler, USGS, measure vertical displacement on a slope above Augustana Creek. Looking northeast. Photo by Soloy Helicopters. | ||||
 Denali Fault trace and offshoots, Chistochina Glacier. Photo by Rod March, USGS. | ||||
 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. |
