Posted on 03/04/2010 5:02:30 AM PST by Kartographer
Just 50 miles off the Pacific Northwest coast is an earthquake hotspot that threatens to unleash on Seattle, Portland and Vancouver the kind of damage that has shattered Chile.
The fault has been dormant for more than 300 years, but when it awakens — tomorrow or decades from now — the consequences could be devastating.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
The earthquake caused a tsunami that struck the coast of Japan, and may also be linked to the Bonneville slide.
Evidence of the earthquake
Evidence supporting the occurrence of the 1700 earthquake has been gathered into the 2005 book The Orphan Tsunami of 1700, by geologist Brian Atwater and others.
The evidence suggests that it took place at about 9:00 PM on January 26, 1700 (NS). Although there were no written records in the region at the time, the earthquake's precise time is nevertheless known from Japanese records of a tsunami that has not been tied to any other Pacific Rim earthquake. The most important clue linking the tsunami in Japan and the earthquake in the Pacific Northwest comes from studies of tree rings (dendrochronology) which show that red cedar trees killed by lowering of coastal forests into the tidal zone by the earthquake have outermost growth rings that formed in 1699, the last growing season before the tsunami. Oral traditions describing a large quake also exist among the region's inhabitants, although these do not specify the date.
This is a pro/con event. Pro-will, hopefully eliminate a lot of liberals.
Con-we will waste jillions of dollars rebuilding those liberal meccas.
Normally, I’d dismiss this as alarmist... except that the Pacific rim has been oddly active within the past month.
Dang! This is the downside of the Pacific Northwest. It is probably (in my opinion atleast) the single MOST beautiful part of the North American continent.
It is also the deadliest. Active volcanoes, active earthquake zone and nearest to the Chicoms
Have thought of moving there many times. Probably still will. I can only hope that it is not a decision I regret
We live with that knowledge every day here in the Seattle area. We may not get as many moderate or larger quakes than California, but we have had some mega-quakes in the past long before we had cities, and highways. What has happened before will happen again.
I think a 9.0 EQ of three to five minute duration will hit the Seattle area and destroy the city any time now. It’s over due and I am so glad not be living there any more.
Both volcanic activity and seismic activity seem to be on the increase lately.
Who knew that the Indians living in the Pac NW had seismographs, and were recording Richter levels, in 1700! Wow!
The mid Mississippi River Valley from Memphis to St Louis is due for a major earthquake along the New Madrid fault.
Many of the buildings in both metro areas are not even close to earthquake standards in both SF or LA.
I agree, it is probably the most beautiful part of the USA. I hope I don’t see it’s destruction in my lifetime. Every part of the country has some sort of potential natural disaster, but it seems that a huge earthquake causes the most horrible devastation of all.
Mega-thrust earthquakes are the most powerful and create large tsunamis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megathrust_earthquake
Too wet and cold.
You are right about the Pacific rim being active lately. What strikes me is how quiet the North American coasts have been. If you look at a world quake map of the last few weeks you will see 3/4 of the rim with extreme activity and the 1/4 that is North America with nary a one. Seems strange to me.
“has shattered Chile” should read has shattered souther coastal Chile. Santiago, while rocked stood up well with the exception of a couple of highway bridges and some sub-standard buildings. Almost all of the new construction (last 25 years) took the shock very well. The highway bridges that fell were built with the flawed California model based on a Spanish design and against the advise of MANY engineers.
Interesting because they didn’t even have the wheel!
it was very similar to the Flintstones seismographs...requiring a beaver with a stylus (made of an eagle feather inked with an Indian paint pot) deftly tied to the beavers tail with wet buckskin so that when it dries it tightens.....the graph itself is a buffalo skin looped through cedar log rollers and propelled by an otter in the inside of the loop who has a fish dandling in front of him to get him to run, hence power the chart. The beavers belly is to the ground and when seismic activity occurs it is translated to his tail which moves more or less determined by the intensity of the quake....
You are an idiot.
You haven’t been here, have you?
Four or five times a year.
Oh! Oh! Oh! I’m so scared. Will this occur before the killer bees, the meteorites, global warming, global pandemics, comets, solar flares, supernovas, magnetic pole shifts, nuclear annilation, famines, floods, pestilences, monsters, killer pythons, etc. get us?
Born and raised in Central Massachusetts, spent the first 40 years of my life there. I'll take the Pacific Northwest weather any day. The sheer physical beauty, without snow up to your armpits, and no summer humidity, makes it ideal for me.
Maybe we're due for an earthquake here, but I remember the New England winters, where it was just as easy to get killed skidding off an icy road into a semi (almost happened to me). But the PNW is not for everyone, I guess.
#1 son and his fiancee live in West Seattle.
I make it a point to hit Duke’s Clam Chowder Emporium every time we fly in for a visit. The NW is lovely in warmer months. The rest of the time, you can have it.
Just think if you do. A 9.0+ EQ with a duration of 5 minutes would level the place to the ground. The only thing that might be left standing would be the Space Needle. It is designed to withstand a 9.2 or 9.3 magnitude EQ.
Think of the jobs that will be created!
Wow, did the AP really stop the presses to tell us that places bordering the Pacific Ring of Fire are in danger of having an earthquake?
WA probably has the greatest variety of terrain and weather than any other state.
There is no other place with better weather in the summer and fall.
Anacortes is dry, for the most part.
Son lives in W. Seattle near the Alki Beach.
Don’t confuse Seattle with the other parts of the state.
I sure hope so...I am bored to death with zer0bama Care being the scariest thing out there...(which it is).
Found this article from www.iceagenow.com with an interesting thesis.
http://www.iceagenow.com/Chile_Quake_Shoved_Islands_Upward.htm
Chile Quake Shoved Islands Upward,
Shifted Earth’s Axis, Shortened Day
Rising islands: I expect the pace to increase
His thesis is as the Earth’s magnetic field decreases in strength the number of EQs increases. Knowing how low the Earth’s magnetic field is now (and is projected to reach near zero by 2015) I would expect the PacNW to get hammered with a major 9.0+ quake that will probably last for about 5 minutes.
Why’s that? You got something to say or are you just blowing farts out of your mouth, again.
Why's that? Because of your stupid comments. A major earthquake will "hopefully eliminate a lot of liberals." Are you so blinded by ideology you hope for the death of those that disagree with you? Look closely at the photograph; can you determine the political leanings of the dead?
You know what? Maybe you're not an idiot. Maybe you're just subhuman scum.
“Are you so blinded by ideology you hope for the death of those that disagree with you?”
In case you haven’t noticed a$$hat, the liberals are trying to destroy this country, and have succeeded in large part because of clowns like you. It isn’t a matter of disagreement anymore than we had a disagreement with the USSR.
“Look closely at the photograph; can you determine the political leanings of the dead?”
Well that would be the same for any corpse now, wouldn’t it moron? Nice talking point of the liberals.
“You know what? Maybe you’re not an idiot. Maybe you’re just subhuman scum.”
Ohhhh! You hurt my feelings. Typical hysterical, leftist cockroach.
Go to DU or KOS for your whiney rants.
Don’t do it. Don’t move here.
You’ll so regret it. The place, well, it is just a shade better than California in terms of the impact of government on your life.
Better to visit. Then it will remain ever beautiful to you.
Babbling idiot. Wipe the shit out of your brain and try again. On second thought, don’t - it may be all you have going for you.
I also like Spokane.
Can’t you two find something important to discuss, instead of just trading blows?
Here: http://www.wolton.net/quake.html
Go to link, download and run the program.
It’s an excellent way to view Earthquake activity.
“Have thought of moving there many times. Probably still will. I can only hope that it is not a decision I regret”
Do come up. I just would not move into a house in areas where you see tsunami evacuations signs, or in the valleys surrounding Mount Rainer which are in of mudflows if that ever goes. Or in Seattle.
There are still many areas in the Northwest that will come away with no to very little damage if the “Big One” 8+ ever did hit again.
http://www.nationalatlas.gov/articles/geology/a_volcanicrisk.html
Set up a nice ranch over on the Palouse, or Lake Chelan, or a nice house near Levenworth, and when the big one hits and Seattle is a pile of bricks you can watch all the action on TV from the Red side of the state.
Spoken like an hysterical, RINO female. At least you are consistent.
I’ll let you go now, babe. Don’t want your husband to get jealous.
Buh bye.
What are your thoughts on 9/11?
An act of war by ragheads against us. What are your thoughts?
I've started wondering if I could think of it as a pro/con event.
“I’ve started wondering if I could think...”
Be careful, you might injure yourself.
I live in Alaska and I actually feel safer here(inland)than anywhere else in America. I feel earthquakes every day, some are in the range that in other places of the country make big news but up here its just another day, its pressure being released the way I see it.
Also the geography under where I live is basically rock and gravel, no silt like in other areas that did liquefy like around Turnagin Arm in 1964.
I think the next main event will be around the Cascadia fault, and if I were to consider being in that area around Seattle or Vancouver I would be absolutely prepared to be 100% sufficient, safe retreat to an earthquake proof place like a converted connex container, solar power, water storage and filtration, communication equipment, off road vehicles like a dirt bike or a quad and of course defensive equipment to protect everything.
There's probably a silver lining in there somewhere.
LOL!
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