New data has revealed that the most devastating Cascadian earthquakes are likely to occur offshore of Washington state and Vancouver Island. Seismologist Edwin Nissen from the University of Victoria in British Columbia emphasizes the significant risk posed by the Cascadia megathrust to those living in the Pacific Northwest. While the fault near the island’s southwest coastline may be prone to the largest earthquakes, segments further south along Oregon’s coast could experience more frequent but slightly smaller tremors. Megathrust faults form where two tectonic plates converge, with one plate subducting under the other, leading to periodic slips and the release of massive amounts of seismic energy. The Cascadia megathrust, extending approximately 1000 kilometers from British Columbia to northern California, is where the Juan de Fuca plate slides beneath the North American plate.
Date: 2024-06-07 13:00:00
Source: www.sciencenews.org
