Unlocking the Cascadia Subduction Zone's secrets: Peering into recent research and findings

Earth Magazine ^ | 7/20/2014 | Andrea Watts

[JimSEA]

Once overlooked because of its relative inactivity compared to other subduction zones around the world, the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) — and the potentially devastating megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis it could unleash — are today well known to both geoscientists and the public.

Beginning with the efforts of John Adams of the Geological Survey of Canada and Brian Atwater of the U.S. Geological Survey in the late 1980s, a series of oceanic research cruises and datasets has steadily advanced our understanding of Cascadia. It seems like there is “a paradigm change every few years,” says Chris Goldfinger, a geologist at Oregon State University. And just when we think we have nothing startling left to learn about this subduction zone, he says, something “startling” emerges.

[JimSEA]

The Pacific Northwest has a lot of active volcanos and the very real potential for a catastrophic earthquake all because of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. This long article has a good summary of recent research.

[Fiji Hill]

The last “big one,” which ruptured along the fault’s entire length, struck in 1700, and recent research suggests that the return interval for such magnitude-9 megathrust events is roughly every 400 to 600 years.

That one apparently generated a huge tidal wave that hit Japan in January, 1700.

[frithguild]

[JimSEA]

You can go to several of the rivers that empty to the ocean and go upstream a couple miles and you can see evidence of the 1700 tsunami if you look closely. I wouldn’t want to be at the beach when the next one comes.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks JimSEA.

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[abb]

Chris Goldfinger. Now THAT is ominous!!

[FlipWilson]

Damn us all for causing this. When will we learn that the impact of global coolingwarmingsomething is killing this planet. Death to the automobile. Save the whales. Get me AlGore on the line immediately. Meat is murder!!! What is wrong with you racist a-holes!?!?!