The Alaska Earthquake Center’s June 3 seismic update highlighted a unique earthquake-monitoring system inside the Usibelli Engineering Learning and Innovation Building at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The project began in 2016 when engineering faculty proposed installing seismometers throughout the building to monitor how it responds during earthquakes. The instruments were installed in 2017 while the facility was still under construction, with sensors placed from the basement to the fifth floor.
According to the Alaska Earthquake Center, the UAF engineering building is the only structure in Interior Alaska equipped with seismometers on multiple levels. Similar monitoring systems are found in only a few other Alaska buildings, including the Atwood Building and the Anchorage Museum.
The sensors help scientists measure how earthquake shaking changes throughout the structure. Instruments on the lower floors primarily record ground motion, while sensors on upper levels detect the side-to-side movement that buildings experience during seismic events.
Researchers pointed to a magnitude 5.3 earthquake in 2024 as an example of how the system works. The earthquake caused the building to resonate, much like a signpost shaking after being struck. Data showed a strong pulse in the basement that traveled upward, creating longer-lasting swaying on higher floors.
The fifth floor recorded the strongest and longest period of shaking, reflecting a common experience in taller buildings where upper levels tend to move more during earthquakes.
The monitoring system continues to provide valuable information for scientists and engineers studying how buildings respond to seismic activity in Alaska.
Learn more on earthquake.alaska.edu.
