The 1912 Ms 7.2 earthquake in the Denali region of central Alaska
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Open Access Version: Publisher Index Page
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
The 2002 Mw 7.9 earthquake in central Alaska ruptured 340 km on three faults—Susitna Glacier thrust fault, Denali fault, Totschunda fault—crossing both the Richardson Highway and the Alaska Pipeline. Its occurrence prompted renewed interest in historical large earthquakes that possibly originated on the Denali fault. One of these earthquakes was a Ms 7.2 event on July 7, 1912, which we revisit with two approaches: (1) probabilistic relocation of the epicenter using globally recorded arrival times, and (2) compilation and reassessment of shaking intensity reports to estimate a macroseismic epicenter. Our preferred instrumental epicenter is west of the Parks Highway and in agreement with the maximum‐reported shaking, which was from the Parker–Browne expedition of Denali. We also relocated a Ms 6.4 aftershock, whose epicenter is 11 km from the mainshock. Candidate faults for the 1912 earthquake include the Denali fault, the McLeod Creek thrust fault, and the Kantishna Hills thrust fault. Future analysis of active faults, paleoseismic results, 1912 instrumental data, and 1912 felt reports may help in interpreting the fault and mechanism of the 1912 earthquake.
Suggested Citation
Tape, C., Aquino-Lopez, M., Bemis, S., Haeussler, P., and Ginnaty, J., 2026, The 1912 Ms 7.2 earthquake in the Denali region of central Alaska: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 116, no. 1, p. 322-354, https://doi.org/10.1785/0120250150.
ISSN: 1943-3573 (online)
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | The 1912 Ms 7.2 earthquake in the Denali region of central Alaska |
| Series title | Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America |
| DOI | 10.1785/0120250150 |
| Volume | 116 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication Date | November 20, 2025 |
| Year Published | 2026 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Seismological Society of America |
| Contributing office(s) | Alaska Science Center Geology Minerals |
| Description | 33 p. |
| First page | 322 |
| Last page | 354 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |