On November 7, 2002, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurred on the Denali Fault. This earthquake started on a previously unknown fault (the Susitna Glacier Fault) and transferred to the Denali, then ruptured almost 330 km of the fault. It was preceeded 12 days earlier by a magnitude 6.6 foreshock. This earthquake caused significant damage to the Richardson Highway (below left), cracking in glaciers (below right), and very minor damage to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. This earthquake was the largest inland North American earthquake in 150 years and was felt as far away as Washington state.

The photo to the right shows the Denali Fault from the air, looking east down the fault (red line). The epicenter of the magnitude 7.9 event and a magnitude 6.5 foreshock are labeled.



Images courtesy of the USGS.