Valdez is the northernmost all-weather port in Alaska, but unlike 

 Seward and Whittier, it is connected with the interior only by road links. 

 Its people, 600, were mainly active in the shipping and fishing indus- 

 tries; its position as the "Switzerland of Alaska" favored a developing 

 tourist trade. The earthquake brought overwhelming disaster to Valdez. 

 The entire waterfront was totally destroyed, and seismic sea waves pene- 

 trated deep into the heart of town. Figiire l6h is an aerial view of 

 the city after the earthquake with the limit of tsunami runup indicated 

 approximately. Because of the unstable sediments upon which the town 

 was founded, it has since been condemned as a hazard (Coulter and 

 Migliaccio, I966; Eckel, 196?) and is slowly being vacated in favor of 

 a new townsite at Mineral Creek, founded on stable rock (see sections 

 DE, DC of Figure I61). 



Most authorities who have reported on the wave phenomena that 

 destroyed Valdez have mentioned four waves as having been primarily re- 

 sponsible for the destruction, two of which occurred during and shortly 

 after the earthquake and two many hours later. However, although the 

 first waves are attributed to massive submarine slumping of the sediments 

 at the waterfront, agreement is not unanimous on just how the waves were 

 generated. Eyewitnesses make no specific mention of a major boil of water 

 developing in the bay (as at Seward), yet this perhaps is understandable 

 because the relative flatness of Valdez does not afford a very commanding 

 view of the bay and the remarkable gyrations of the ship Chena distracted 

 attention of observers from other events. Grantz, et al (196U) and Plafker 

 and Mayo (1965) are the only sources we can find that specifically men- 

 tion mounds or boils of muddy water, yet eyewitness accounts reported by 

 Berg, et al (l96U); Brown (196U); Bryant (196U); Chance (1968); Chapman 

 (I96U); Migliaccio (196U) and Coulter and Migliaccio (1966), make no 

 direct reference to these except in the sense of purely localized mounds 

 hitting the Chena (reported by the ship's captain); and the development 

 of a "wall of water" out in the bay, sometime after the occurrence of 

 the first waves (reported by Forest Sturgis, Alaska State Highway en- 

 gineer). We raise this matter not because there is any question of the 

 occurrence (which is indisputable) of a submarine slide to which the 

 mounds and boils are attributable, but because there is the possibility 

 that the first wave or waves may have had other associations, as we shall 

 discuss. 



We may attempt to explain what happened at the waterfront at Valdez 

 by considering the available facts. Allowing some degree of conjecture 

 to fit the facts, we infer that water level fluctuated in approximate 

 accord with the marigram presented in Figure I65. 



The first wave to strike Valdez occurred during the earthquake and 

 was remarkably sudden. The time sequence of following waves is confused 

 owing to the disastrous conditions that prevailed. People who watched 

 the water had their attention drawn to the erratic behavior and violent 

 movement of the Alaska Steamship Company vessel Chena, a 10,8l5-ton 

 cargo ship, that was moored to the north dock when the earthquake started. 

 Captain Merrill Stewart of this ship has given the following account of 

 his experience (Coulter and Migliaccio, I966): 



260 



