On July 29, 2021, Alaska experienced a magnitude 8.2 earthquake, deemed the largest earthquake to hit the state since 1965. In a stroke of strange luck, University of Oregon doctoral student Spencer Abbe was in the region at the time studying—you guessed it: earthquakes.

Damage from the 1964 Good Friday earthquake in Alaska. Photo credit: NOAA

Spencer Abbe has spent the last year researching the history of earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions in the North Pacific, specifically the relationship between humans and these natural phenomena. During the July 29 earthquake, Abbe was in Kodiak, Alaska to learn more about significant earthquake events.

Learn more about Abbe’s research and his experience in an interview with Kodiak Public Broadcasting.