What is a sound?
Q: What is a sound?
A: A sound is a small body of water that comes in from the ocean.
Q: Where is Prince William Sound located?
A: Prince William Sound is on the south side of the U.S. state of Alaska, and on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula.
Q: Who named Prince William Sound?
A: James Cook named it Sandwich Sound after the Earl of Sandwich in 1778, but it was later changed to be named after George III's third son Prince William Henry.
Q: What land surrounds Prince William Sound?
A: Most of the land near Prince William Sound is part of Chugach National Forest, which is the second largest U.S. National Forest. The coast is also ringed by steep Chugach Mountains with many islands and fjords as well as some glaciers.
Q: What natural disaster occurred in 1964 at Prince William Sound?
A: In 1964, a tsunami hit Prince William Sound caused by the Good Friday earthquake which killed many people in Chenega and destroyed Valdez town.
Q: What happened in 1989 at Prince William Sound?
A: In 1989, an oil tanker called Exxon Valdez ran aground causing a large oil spill which damaged the environment and killed around 250,000 seabirds, nearly 3,000 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles and up to 22 killer whales.
