Alaska Earthquake Center

The Alaska Earthquake Center operates the state’s seismic network and is formalised under Alaska Statute 14.40.075 since 1987. Alaska’s first seismic station opened in Sitka in 1904.[1]

Early stations

The first seismic station in Alaska opened in 1904 at the Astronomical Observatory in Sitka. A second station was installed near Fairbanks in 1935 by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey and the University of Alaska. These two were the state’s only instruments until after the 1964 Great Alaska earthquake, when new installations began.[1]

Growth of the network

By the mid-1970s the U.S. Geological Survey had about 40 stations in southern Alaska, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute about 50 sensors statewide and the NOAA Tsunami Warning Center about a dozen sites. The Alaska Earthquake Center was formalised under state statute in 1987, and the Alaska Volcano Observatory was established around the same time. Later expansions included 18 sites in 1997 through a five-state partnership and about 20 stations in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park from 2006.[1]

USArray and digital network

The USArray programme installed 197 sites in Alaska between 2014 and 2017 on a grid with about 85 kilometre spacing, and the Earthquake Center acquired 96 of them in 2019 and 2020 through the National Science Foundation Arctic Observing Network Program. The center’s network is now fully digital broadband or strong motion.[1]

FAQs

When did Alaska get its first seismic station? 1904, in Sitka.

When was the center formalised? 1987.

How many USArray sites were installed? 197 between 2014 and 2017.

Sources

1. Alaska Earthquake Center: Alaska’s Seismic Network History

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 14, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue