George Plafker, an American geologist and seismologist, died on April 2, 2026, at the age of 97.
His research focused on subduction, tsunami, and the geology of Alaska. After prolonged study of the 1964 Alaska earthquake, he concluded that the largest earthquakes result from fault slip at convergent boundaries, at a time when plate tectonics was not yet fully accepted by the scientific community.
He also conducted additional studies in Chile in the late 1960s on a series of earthquakes there.
George Plafker (March 6, 1929 – April 2, 2026) was an American geologist and seismologist who made significant contributions to both fields, with research focused on subduction, tsunami, and the geology of Alaska. Following prolonged study of the region of the 1964 Alaska earthquake, Plafker correctly concluded that the largest earthquakes are the result of fault slip at convergent boundaries. This was at a time when the theory of plate tectonics was still not completely accepted by the scientific community. Additional studies were done in Chile in the late 1960s regarding the series of earthquakes there.