Earthquakes

The disastrous earthquake in Guatemala reminds us that Fairbanks, too, is in a seismically active area. Significant earthquakes have occurred in Interior Alaska about every ten years. Relatively large earthquakes occurred in 1937, 1948, 1958 and 1967. None of them caused injury or death, but the 1948 earthquake was remembered for its damage to liquor stocks in Fairbanks.

Many tiny earthquakes occur each month in the Fairbanks area. Right now the main center of activity is to the south of International Airport, across the Tanana--a shift that has occurred in the last five years. Previously the center of activity was in the Badger Road area.

New commercial buildings in Fairbanks are required to conform to the 1973 Uniform Building Code which places the city in a high seismic risk zone.