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Effects of the March 1964 Alaska Earthquake on Glaciers

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Effects of the March 1964 Alaska Earthquake on Glaciers THE ALASKA EARTHQUAKE, MARCH 27,1964: EFFECTS ON THE HYDROLOGIC REGIMEN Effects of the March 1964 Alaska Earthquake on Glaciers By AUSTIN POST GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 544-D UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY William T. Pecora, Director UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1967 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 45 cents THE ALASKA EARTHQUAKE SERIES The U.S. Geological Survey is publishing the results of investigations of the Alaska earthquake of March 27,1961, in a series of six Professional Papers. Professional Paper 544 describes the effect on hydrology. Other Professional Papers, some already published and some still in preparation, describe the effects of the earthquake on communities; the regional effects of the earthquakes; the effects on transporta- tion, communications, and utilities; and the history of the field investigations and recoilstruct ion effort . CONTENTS Page Page Abstract - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dl Earthquake-induced rockslide Changes in drainage and flow of Introduction-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 avalanches on glaciers-Con. glacially fed rivers due to the Acknowledgments- - - - - - - - - 2 Smdler avalanches-Con. 1964earthquake------------ Possible effects of earthquakes Allen Glacier- - - ------ D21 Effects of the 1964 tectonic dis- en glaciers---- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Fickett Glacier---- --- - 21 placements on glaciers- - - - - - - Snow avalanching ------------- Unnamed glacier near Direct effects of the 1964 earth- Ice avalanching - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Paguna Bay -------- 2 1 quake on tidal glaciers- ---_-- Earthquake-induced rockslide Rockslide avalanches not asso- Interpretation of the data- - - - - - avalanches on glaciers---- - - - - ciated - with the 1964 earth- Effect of avalanche-caused Sherman Glacier- - - - - -- --- quake---------------------- 26 thickening on the flow of Schwan Glacier- - --------- Avalanches before the 1964 glaciers- - - - - - - - - _ - - - - _ - Bering and Steller Glaciers- earthquake - - - - - - - - - - - - - 26 The earthquake-advance Martin River Glacier - - - - - - Rockalide avalanches since theory-----------_----- Sioux Glacier- --- -- - --- -- - August 1964------------ 26 Glacier surges----- - - _ -- - - - Smaller avalanches- ------- General characteristics' of the Summary and conclusions- _ _ - - - Saddlebag Glacier---- - - larger rockslide avalanches--..- 31 References - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ILLUSTRATIONS FIGURES Page Page 1. Map of south-central Alas- 10. Schwan -Glacier on August 18. Allen Glacier rockslide ava- ka--------------------- 26, 1963---------------- Dl4 lanche 1, August 25, 1965- D23 2. Head of Meares Glacier, 11. Schwan Glacier on August 19. Childs Glacier, August 26, August 24, 1964--------- 25, 1964---------------- 15 1963------------------- 24 3. Cliffs on south side of Har- 12. Map of rockslide avalanches 20. Childs Glacier, August 25, vard Glacier, August 24, in the Waxell Ridge region, 1965------------------- 25 1964------------------- Bering and Steller Gla 21. Allen rockslide avalanche 4, 4. Horizontal profiles of rock- clers - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16 August 25, 1965--------- 27 slide avalanches on gla- 13. Map of rockslide avalanches 22. Rockslide avalanche on Fair- ciers - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - on the Martin River and weather Glacier, August 5. Map of rockslide avalanches western Steller Glaciers- - - 17 22,1965---_-_-_-_------ in the Sherman and Sad- 14. Map of rockslide avalanches 23. Map of rockslide avalanche dlebag Glaciers area- - - - - - and rockfalls in the Sioux, on Fairweather Glacier- - - 6. Rockslide avalanche on Sher- Johnson, and Miles Gla- 24. Rockslide avalanche on Net- man Glacier, August 25, cler region- - - --- - --- ---- 18 land Glacier, August 29, 1965------------------- 15. Sioux Glacier, August 26, 1964---------------__---- 7. Sherman Glacier, August 26, 1963 and August 24, 1964- 19 25. Map showing relation of 1963------------------- 16. Saddlebag Glacier, August earthquake subidence and 8. Sherman Glacier, August 24, 26, 1963 and August 25, uplift to glaciers- - - - - - - - - 1964------------------- 1965------------------- 20 26. Observed glacier surges since 9. Map of rockslide avalanche 17. Map of rockslide avalanches 1936 in Alaska and western on Schwan Glacier------- on Allen Glacier --------- 22 Canada-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TABLES Page. 1. Snow avalanches on large glaciers near the epicenter of the 1964 earthquake- - - - -_-------- - - -- --- - - -- D4 2. Earthquakeinduced rockslide avalanches- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 3. Rockslide avalanche deposits on glaciers since 1945 and prior to 1964 earthquake ---_---- ------ - -- - --- 26 4. Rockslide avalanches more recent than 1964 earthquake-----_-_ _-- - ----- ---------- ------ --- -- - --- - 26 5. Late August levels of glacier-dammed lakes in the Chugach and Kenai Mountains, 1960-65- - - - - - - - - - - - 33 6. Changes in termini of tidewater glaciers in the Chugach and Kenai Mountains, 1960-65- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 36 7. Lengths and times of sudden movement of glaciers observed by Tarr and Martin after the 1899 earth- quake------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXPLANATION ------ A Icefields and glaciers Limit of cracking of alluvial deposits Epicenter of 1964 earthquake Glacier areas shown as figures and photographs in this report FIOUBE1.-Map of south-central Alaska showing the major glaciers and icefields and the epicenter of the March 27 earthquake. THE ALASKA EARTHQUAKE, MARCH 27,1964: EFFECTS ON THE HYDROLOGIC REGIMEN EFFECTS OF THE MARCH a964 ALASKA EARTHQUAKE ON GLACIERS By Austin Post ABSTRACT The 1964 Alaska earthquake occurred occurring in the Copper River region scale dynamic response of any glacier in a region where there are many 160 kilometers east of the epicenter. to earthquake shaking or avalanche hundreds of glaciers, large and small. Some of these amlanches traveled sev- loading was found in either the Chugach Aerial photographic investigations in- eral kilometers at low gradients; com- or Kenai Mountains 16 months after dicate that no snow and ice avalanches pressed air may have provided a lubri- the 1964 earthquake, nor was there any of large size occurred on glaciers despite cating layer. If long-term changes in evidence of surges (rapid advances) as the violent shaking. Rockslide ava- glaciers due to tectonic changes in alti- postulated by the Earthquake-Advance lanches extended onto the glaciers in tude and slope occur, they will probably Theory of !L'arr and Martin. many localities, seven very large ones be very small. No evidence of large- INTRODUCTION Alaskan glaciers are of such size Most rivers in this area derive a The author conducted aerial- and number that they influence the part of their flow from glaciers, photographic investiga1;ions on climate, streamflow, and works of and, for many major streams, such glaciers in northwestern North man in many parts of the State. as the Matanuska and Copper America from 1960 to 1963 under Their influence is especially im- Rivers, glacier melt provides a grants from the National Science portant in the region most strongly substantial part of their summer Foundation. This project was runoff. Although it is primarily administered by the University of affected by the Alaska earthquake the glacial rivers that affect works Washington, Seattle, P. E. Church of March 27,1964, where about 20 of man in the State, in a few places being principal investigator. percent of the land area is covered the glaciers themselves are near Practically all of the larger gla- by ice (fig. 1). North, east, and transportation routes or facilities. ciers in Alaska were examined and west of the epicenter, the Chugach Changes in glaciers resulting from their various features noted. More Mountains are covered with ap- earthquakes thus may have eco- than 2,000 oblique and vertical proximately 6,500 km2 (square nomic as well as scientific interest. photographs were taken each year. kilometer) of icefields and snow- The 1964 earthquake was one of These observations and pictures filled valleys from which more the strongest ever recorded in provide detailed information than a dozen major and hundreds North America. Tectonic dis- about the glaciers before the earth- of s m a 1 1e r glaciers descend. placements occurred over a larger quake occurred. Southwest of the epicenter the area than has previously been ob- The U.S. Geological Survey Sargent and Harding Icefields served (Plafker, 1965a; Plafker continued these studies in 1964 and Mayo, 1965). The area in and 1965 as part of n broader and other glaciers cover approxi- which cracking occurred in allu- program of investigation of the mately 4,200 krn2 in the Kenai vial deposits is considered the relation of glaciers to climate and Mountains. East of the Copper probable limit of the area where the role of glaciers in the hy- River, the Bagley Icefield con- noticeable effects on glaciers might drologic cycle. Mark F. Meier tains some 10,400 km2 of glaciers. be expected (fig. 1). directed this program. Dl D2 ALASKA EARTHQUAKE, MARCH 27, 196:4 By comparing photographs m o r a i n e s, superglacial photographs were furnished the taken before and after the earth- streams and lakes. author by
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