Alaska earthquake: 18 days after earthquake state hit by 5,000 plus AFTERSHOCKS

As of yesterday, the total number of earthquakes reported totalled a record-busting 50,413 – and widespread anxiety over the prospect of further quakes is heaping pressure on mental health clinics in Anchorage, the state’s largest city, according to local media reports. Alaska’s coast sits along the earthquake and volcanic hotspot know as the Ring of Fire which circles the Pacific Ocean. Writing on Facebook, Alaska Earthquake Center (AEC) research technician Dara Merz attributed the high levels of seismic activity in the region to November 30’s quake, along with another on January 23 with a magnitude of 7.9 centred on and a third on August 12 on centred on Kaktovik measuring 6.4 on the scale.

Speaking to local television station Channel 2 yesterday, AEC Seismic Network Manager Natalia Ruppert said prior to this date, the region experienced “a handful to several” every day.

By contrast, since November 30, Ms Ruppert said the region had been experiencing aftershocks every couple of minutes, through the day, every day.

Only a small proportion of the 5000 recorded – 120 were of magnitude 3.0 or more, and just nine were in excess of 4.0.

Speaking to CNN after the November 30 earthquake, Dr Lucy Jones, a seismologist with the California Institute of Technology, said the region would continue to feel the effects for some time.

She explained: ”We think the number dies off with time, but the relative distribution from large to small is constant,” with many more  likely.

Ms Jones cited a 5.0 magnitude aftershock which occurred three years after an earthquake in 1994 in Northridge, California.

TV station Anchorage Daily News has reported mental health facilities were struggling to cope in the face of increased demand from people fearful of more earthquakes.

It quoted one local provider who said: ”Resources in town are already pretty significantly stretched, and the earthquake has not helped.”

Meanwhile Art Nash, a state energy specialist has urged anyone affected by last month’s quake to retest their homes for , an odourless gas formed when uranium underground decays which has been linked to cancer.

Mr Nash, of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, told the Anchorage Daily News he normally recommended homeowners test for radon every five years.

However, he warned when the ground is disturbed, it could create fissures which allowed radon to escape into the air.

As it was impossible to know precisely where fissures may have formed, he advised all homeowners in the vicinity affected to retest their homes.

The November 30 quake hit at 5.29pm GMT (8.29am local time) with the epicentre recorded just 12km north of Anchorage. 

A was in place for large parts of southern Alaska, including coastal areas around the Cook Inlet and the Southern Kenai Peninsula, although this was later lifted.

Anchorage Police said there was “major infrastructure damage” across the city, with “many homes and buildings” damaged, and urged motorists to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.

The Anchorage metropolitan area is home to more than 400,000 people.

Residents shared their experiences of the tremor on the site of monitoring service EMSC.

One wrote: “Things fell over and broke. Shook house severely for several seconds. Power out. I ran out of house. Aftershocks now.”

Another added: “Building was shaking and had to run out for safety!”