subduction zone

Earthquake scientists discover warning signs of ‘The Big One’. When should they tell the public?

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COPALIS BEACH, WASH. — When Japan first issued a “megaquake” warning last week, Washington state seismologist Harold Tobin watched closely. The advisory came after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the southern island of Kyushu. While the quake caused little major damage — the largest tsunami it generated was said to have reached knee-deep — it was … Read more

Researchers are getting the clearest picture yet of the fault threatening the Pacific Northwest

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A silent colossus lurks off the Pacific coast, threatening hundreds of miles of coastline with tsunamis and devastating earthquakes. For decades, scientists have warned about the potential of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a megathrust fault that runs offshore along the coast from northern Vancouver Island to Cape Mendocino, California. When the fault – or even … Read more