Preliminary results from a study related to the subduction of the Juan De Fuca Plate beneath the North American Plate off the coast of Washington and British Columbia indicate that the potential mega-thrust earthquake could strike closer to the Seattle-Tacoma area than previously thought. I believe this project is the same one where I posted their press release about two years ago. According to the article, the average return period for these mega-thrust earthquakes is 400 to 500 years with a range between 300 and 800 and the estimated magnitude of around 9.0. The last mega-thrust earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone was in January of 1700. Previously, scientists predicted the earthquake would be centered just off the coast, they now think it could be 30 miles or more inland, under the Olympic Peninsula to the west of the Seattle-Tacoma area. Source: Physorg.com via Geology.com.
Geologic Hazards
Italian quake causes widespread damage
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Italy on Sunday, killing several and leaving an estimated 3,000 people homeless. A number of renaissance era buildings were damaged or destroyed in a region known for it’s production of […]
Geologic Hazards
Haiti Earthquake
The magnitude 7.0 earthquake in the impoverished nation of Haiti has clearly had devastating consequences. I don’t know what I can add in terms of useful information except perhaps to point interested readers to these additional sources of information. This is truly a heart-breaking situation. Click through for the links. (Photo by UNDP Global)
Geologic Hazards
Video: LiDAR-Illuminating Earthquake Hazards
From YouTube: As part of a Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) and OpenTopography collaboration, Sarah Robinson (ASU M.S. student) and Andrew Whitesides (USC undergraduate) – supported by SCEC’s ACCESS program (Advancement of Cyberinfrastructure Careers through […]