In 1964, a 9.2 magnitude earthquake struck Alaska. The ground shook for 5 full minutes, seemingly solid ground turned to jelly, and the subsequent tidal wave swept away an entire village. The earthquake also put paid to the debate over continental drift and led to the current understanding of how tectonic plates interact. Henry Fountain discusses all of this in The Great Quake, which primarily reads as a fascinating scientific narrative, which only rarely delves so deeply into the hard science as to be too dense for the average reader. (In this way, it's more accessible than Earthquake Storms, which was also interesting, but frequently far too in the weeds for my liking!)
The Great Quake also serves as a travelogue of sorts, providing a detailed glimpse of life in and around Prince William Sound, the wild beauty and savage wilderness, particularly in the years immediately after statehood. A reader interested in the evolution of the lands and life in the past half century would be well served to follow Fountain's work with Mark Adams's Tip of the Iceberg.
Fountain's work feels especially timely given that the quake occurred 50-plus years ago: he has spent considerable time with survivors of the quake, as well as George Plafker, the geologist whose work ultimately shaped the current science of earthquakes, plate tectonics, continental drift, and all the other larger forces originating in the core of the blue marble we all call home. Plafker is now 90.
Five stars.
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