How was the Turnagain Heights area of Anchorage, Alaska, damaged during the 1964 earthquake?
A) Rioting by frenzied inhabitants in Anchorage's worst slum area.
B) A weak, subsurface, clay layer failed, resulting in numerous rotational landslides.
C) It burned in a fire set off by broken gas lines.
D) It was hit by a large tsunami and then buried by a rock avalanche.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The damage in the Turnagain Heights area of Anchorage during the 1964 earthquake was primarily due to a failure in a weak, subsurface clay layer, which led to numerous rotational landslides. This geological phenomenon occurred because the clay, when shaken, behaved like a liquid, a process known as liquefaction, causing the ground to slide and structures to collapse.

How Was the Turnagain Heights Area of Anchorage, Alaska, Damaged