Scientists have mapped one of the most hazardous spots on the globe in unprecedented detail: a 600-mile geologic boundary just off the #PacificNorthwest coast.
Along this fraught stretch, called the #CascadiaSubductionZone, 2 pieces of the #Earth’s crust slide against each other, building up stresses capable of unleashing a catastrophic 9.0-magnitude #earthquake & generating a #tsunami, w/waves as high as 40 feet.
…The entire area, which stretches from Northern #California to #Vancouver Island, is at risk. But the scientists found the geometry of the fault off the coast of #Washington, where the fault is flat & smooth, closer to the surface & extends farther onshore, may be particularly at risk.
…This #FaultZone is hazardous because it’s a “megathrust” #fault. One piece of the #Earth’s crust, a tectonic plate called the Juan de Fuca plate, dives down beneath the North American continental plate.
The Atacama Desert in #Chile has some of the darkest night skies in the world, perfect for #astronomy. But it's also a very seismic area. When an #earthquake hits, how do we keep our telescopes safe? We tell you all about it in this new video: https://youtu.be/y_nfFwKwmmM
Two earthquakes in Newport Beach. M3.4 and M3.6. I received on-the-ground reports that it was "a bit disconcerting" and "sure as hell enough to get your attention". #earthquake#NewportBeach#CA
M4.6 earthquake in Baja, California (along the San Andreas Fault). Despite the gray line there and a few fences/walls, the earthquake got over the border #earthquake#Mexico#Baja#SanDiego
@ai6yr I felt it! Not as much as my colleague on our Zoom call, though! Her camera was bouncing all over the place and she grabbed the desk. Up here on campus it was a little sway of the aged building.