LIQUEFACTION:

Alaska, 1964: Displacement of Houses

The Alaskan Earthquake on March 27, 1964 had a seismic magnitude of 8.6. The most significant cause of damage, bringing the estimated cost up to 300 million dollars, was due to the landslide of 9.6 million cubic meters of soil at Turnagain Height in Anchorage. This picture demonstrates the effect of the liquefaction of the soil creating the lateral spreading of saturated soft clay and sand. The ground broke into a complex system of ridges and depressions as seen in the photograph. In this area, the ground dropped on the average of 11 meters and houses slid about 150 to 180 meters.