southern whidbey island fault map southern whidbey island fault map

Cover your head and neck with your arms to protect against falling debris. Tap/click on "gear icon" for options and settings. The Cascadia Subduction Zone (also known as the CSZ) is a 700-mile long fault zone located off the western coastline of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and northern California. But the mapping offered geological clues that the newly found fault was indeed capable of future quakes. In Washington, the risk from earthquake-induced landslides is large. It may not be possible to find water, fuel, or food until services are restored days or even weeks after the event. PO Box 5000 Seconds later, its as if Whidbey Island is trapped in a cocktail shaker, lurching back and forth. America is going to pay for sitting back doing nothing while almost 70 million babies were slaughtered and their body parts sold to the highest bidder for the last 43 years. Scientists have used the stories from tribes along the entire Pacific Northwest coast to learn that the last large earthquake on the Cascadia subduction zone was about AD 1700. By finding the age of the deformed layer, a paleoseismologist can determine the minimum age of the fault. Geologists do not yet know how often earthquakes happen on this fault. Experts believe a magnitude 9.0 could happen there anytime in the next 200 years or so. Faults can be grouped based on their relative movement into three types. Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 2 U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, M/S . There must be tsunami deposits of the same age along much of the Oregon and Washington coast in order to qualify as an earthquake. Scientists dont know. This is an active fault.. The Safe America Foundation suggests texting as a way of communication. Seismic waves travel at hundreds to thousands of miles per hour and quickly reach the surface where they are felt or measured. The experts say few are ready. During the shaking liquefaction occurred, the sand lost its strength, and the car sunk. Image from the Pacific Geoscience Center of the Natural Resources of Canada. Tsunamis triggered by earthquakes usually require at least a M7 event. Later movement on this long-term active fault zone cut the volcano. The below map shows that Seattle and its surroundings is constantly being rattled by small earthquakes and tremors. The last earthquake on the Seattle fault (about AD 950) triggered a landslide and seiche in Lake Washington. Finding faults and knowing how often they rupture is one of the most important tasks to keep society safe from these hazards. This is a hypothetical scenario created by Mark Murphy of the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management. In 1985, with little concrete evidence of its existence, the pair included the possible fault on a geologic map published by the USGS. The last time was 1,000 years ago between 900 and 903 A.D., said Forson. If a large earthquake happens, be prepared for many more earthquakes. The team determined that the Rattlesnake Mountain fault zone, originally mapped by DNR geologist Tim Walsh in the 1980s, is likely the southern continuation of the southern Whidbey Island fault, extending this fault zone from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Rattlesnake Mountain near North Bend. Since about 1870 there have been about 15 large earthquakes (greater than M5) in the state. This photo shows a fence that was offset about 8.5 feet during the 1906 Great San Francisco Earthquake on the San Andreas fault. Theres an uneasy hush. Washington State Earthquake Hazard Map. As of January 12, 2017, the USGS maintains a limited number of metadata fields that characterize the Quaternary faults and folds of the United States. They didnt recognize the significance of what they found. stream By sampling sediment from the marsh to the beach berm, Sherrod and his research partner, Harvey Kelsey, developed a timeline of the oceans climb. The Geologic Information Portal has a Natural Hazards theme that shows active faults and earthquakes. (1999 . High-resolution LiDAR topographic maps have since revealed several potential faults scarps, and subsequent studies provide more detailed information about the fault zone's past. The Cascade block to the northeast is floored by diverse assemblages of pre-Tertiary rocks; the Coast Range block to the southwest is floored by lower Eocene marine basaltic rocks of the Crescent Formation. An earthquake occurs when rock inside the Earth moves or breaks. But scientists theorize that the area has suffered only four . Know what other hazards you might face. Mudslides. Earthquakes cause damage by moving and shaking the ground, sometimes for several minutes. These and other problems led to the search for a scale that was based on the physical processes that happen during an earthquake. Bookcases and china cabinets topple, trapping people beneath. A pair of scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey first theorized that a fissure between two major blocks of the earths crust might run through this slice of Puget Sound. HOLOCENE FAULT SCARPS AND SHALLOW MAGNETIC ANOMALIES ALONG THE SOUTHERN WHIDBEY ISLAND FAULT ZONE NEAR WOODINVILLE, WASHINGTON By Brian L. Sherrod1, Richard J. Blakely2, Craig Weaver1, Harvey Kelsey3, Elizabeth Barnett1, and Ray Wells4 1 U.S. Geological Survey, Dept. Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Throughout the world shallow earthquakes generally refer to earthquakes that are less than ~45 miles deep. This map shows areas of seismic risk from high (red) to low (grayish-green). Depending on the type of fault, the ground can move laterally, vertically, or a combination of both. They knew something was there, said Sam Johnson, a retired USGS geologist who would follow up on their work. SWIF ranges from 12 miles underground at its deepest to right at sea level in a few scattered spots, like Cama Beach, Holmes Harbor and Woodinville, according to Sherrods research. In effect, the wave energy is trapped by the edges of the body of water. This movement created a tsunami in Puget Sound and triggered a large landslide into Lake Washington. This earthquake caused parts of Restoration Point near on Bainbridge Island to be lifted 35 feet straight up. Theres a reason the lands around the Pacific Ocean are called the Ring of Fire. The earthquakes, tsunamis, and the proximity of volcanos are all part of the same system. You can look at different geological hazard mapson the website of the Department of Natural Resources. PI22343). An earthquake can be a scary event. A reverse fault occurs when two blocks are pushed together and one moves up and over the other. The video is also available in Spanish and there is a fun activity/coloring book that can be found here. Large earthquakes, like those from the Cascadia subduction zone on January 26, 1700, often create tsunamis. Tohoku killed nearly 16,000 people; most died as a result of drowning or being crushed in the tsunami. The spectacular falls flow over the remains of a newly discovered 20-million-year-old volcano, apparently formed atop the main part of the fault zone as magma rose upward along weak fault planes. It is not yet possible to predict when a fault will have an earthquake. In fact, new faults are found every year during our geologic mapping efforts. The Straight Creek fault in the Cascade Range is an example of this kind of fault and has ~5060 miles of movement across it. Because they need large earthquakes that move the ocean floor, tsunamis are most commonly made by subduction zone faults like those found off the coasts of the Pacific Northwest, Japan, and Chile. ; (5) large-scale liquefaction features in upper Quaternary sediments within the fault zone; and (6) minor historical seismicity. (1996) used seismic-reflection profiles in Puget Sound near Whidbey Island, sea-cliff exposures on Whidbey Island, and sparse borehole data to map and interpret the SWIF as a broad fault zone (6 to 11 km wide) dipping steeply to the northeast. The 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan occurred on this type of fault and released enough energy to slightly change the Earths axis of rotation. Each of these aftershocks would be a significant earthquake if it happened on its own. The moment magnitude scale replaced the Richter scale in the late 1970s. A thrust fault is a special kind of reverse fault that has a shallow dip. Seattle Fault Lines. Geologists at the Survey spend time mapping the geology of the state, looking for faults, folds, landslides, and different rock types. If everyone tries to use their cell phones, it can overload the system. His team wanted to find the rate of sea level rise along the shore. Large earthquakes are likely to happen in Washington during your lifetime. Both types of faults can cause ground shaking during an earthquake and may cause permanent deformation of the ground. Stratigraphy and diatom assemblages of the marsh cores suggest Crockett Marsh underwent a 12 m of abrupt uplift relative to sea level at a time that relative sea level remained the same at Hancock Marsh. There are also tsunami evacuation signs on the highways. Over time, fault movement has created some interesting geologic features. Some people in places like SODO and Harbor Island may have to flee to higher floors in a building. If the epicenter is Everett, the SWIF could cause. East of Puget Sound, the SWIF makes landfall between the cities of Seattle and Everett but is concealed . So they dont necessarily know the threats they face.. . For example, the Cascadia subduction zone has had between 15 to 19 earthquakes over the past 10,000 years. Also, very large earthquakes were difficult to measure accurately. The tsunami becomes taller as the ocean becomes shallow. Radiocarbon ages of macrofossils constrain uplift timing to 2.83.2 ka. He combed through state and federal data to understand the risks, and to help train first responders. Within minutes, he spotted something groundbreaking. Do not exit a building during the shaking. A low-angle fault, which is not conclusively earthquake related, separates a diamicton from the overlying recessional outwash deposit. The threat to Puget Sound from a quake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, off the coast of Washington, Oregon and California, is well documented. Most are too small to be felt or cause damage. Sometimes Geologists can use the offset land surface to understand how much the fault moved during the earthquake. For example, it is unlikely that you will be able to use electricity, cell phones, or the internet. Once we got it, we were sort of shocked to see these big faults in the Puget lowlands, he said. The southeastern and central parts of the southern Whidbey Island fault zone form the southwest margin of the Everett basin and northeast boundary of the Seattle basin. One of the most important new technologies for finding faults (and landslides too) is called lidar. Hover over a cluster of earthquakes to learn about the different types in the Pacific Northwest. Shallow faults produce earthquakes in the upper 18 miles (30 kilometers) of the Earths crust. A half dozen people reaching for the last can of soup, someone could lose their life over that. This car was parked on sand during the 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. But it didnt. They didnt grow up here, they havent heard this story. Geologic maps show the types and ages of rocks and younger deposits that are found at or near the Earth's surface. M 7.4 Scenario Earthquake - Southern Whidbey Island fault-southern Overview Interactive Map Regional Information Impact ShakeMap Technical Origin Download Event KML Earthquakes Hazards Data & Products Learn Monitoring Research M 7.4 Scenario Earthquake - Southern Whidbey Island fault-southern 2017-05-12 20:14:09 (UTC) 48.036N 122.452W In Seattle, the quake damaged buildings, weakened bridges, started fires and opened cracks in the earth. It will happen; we dont know when.. The Seattle Fault is also likely to create a tsunami that would inundate Harbor Island and much of SODO, Interbay, and the waterfront. Other types of seismic energy (S waves) also travel through the earth, but they move with a side-to-side (shearing) motion. Its significantly larger than the Seattle Fault, and South Whidbey could hand us a magnitude 7.5 earthquake. Many low-lying areas have wet soil or sediment beneath them that could liquefy during earthquakes. Drop to your hands and knees. @\;L;=}%FC*l $@ 4x: 888O~xrsxx'/*rGRF\gI%~x(G-^-hjjq kx/V ou0hyegy0;ei`Tx&ilZ )TmZ$vb,`bQm|DR5x/ Expect and help to extinguish fires. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center is located in Hawaii and is responsible for issuing alerts to all the countries that border the Pacific Ocean. Scientists are not sure how far east it goes. 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Reston, VA 20192, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 12: Pacific Islands (American Samoa, Hawaii, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), The southern Whidbey Island fault: An active structure in the Puget Lowland, Washington, S. Y. Johnson, C. J. Potter, J.M. Audio; Before and After Images; Images; Slideshows; Stereograms; Videos; Webcams; . The best thing you can do is to become prepared. Clicking on the map will download the publication. Sherrod shrugged his shoulders. The Eastern Sierra fault along the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California is a good example of an active normal fault. At the Brightwater treatment plant in Woodinville and at Crystal Lake in Maltby, the government researchers found telltale slopes of offset ground, known as scarps, indicative of a long-ago quake. The friend obliged. And while scientists keep digging for more information and more situational awareness of what we face, the other problem is human. In general, larger faults make larger earthquakes. In Washington, we do not have tsunami walls. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. These sediments were laid down 20,000 to 60,000 years ago, before the last ice age. Finding and learning about faults requires many different aspects of geology and geophysics. <> Liquefaction can be a big problem. Buildings could sustain extensive damage. In this sense, the shaking of the ground is the sound of rocks breaking and moving deep within the Earth. Its a natural curiosity.. Camano Island, WA 98282, Mailing Address Landslides can be caused by strong ground shaking during an earthquake. Learn about at-risk areas and become prepared. Black lines are trace projections of the South Whidbey Island Fault, Seattle Fault Zone, and Tacoma Fault Zone faults and the N-S Hood Canal and Puget Sound faults of S. Y. Johnson et al. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. A few miles southeast across the white-capped waves of Admiralty Bay, Lake Hancock rises and falls with the tides. For earthquakes that occurred before seismographs were invented, the Mercalli Intensity scale was used to make maps of damage and determine the size and location of an earthquake. We do know that it is active and will likely produce a large M67.5 earthquake when it next ruptures. And when are documentary film called Cascadia The Big One, Dangerous Inland Earthquake Destroys Homes and Schools near Jakarta, Indonesia, Terrifying video shows olive grove turned into a Gigantic Canyon after Turkeys earthquake split land in huge rifts. An official website of the United States government. Because they rupture at such great depth, their seismic energy is distributed over a large area. Keaton and Perry (2006 #7653) excavated two trenches on the south end of the Brightwater treatment plant (KP1 site 572-3, and KP2 site 572-4). Consider whether earthquake insurance is right for you. Swarm of hundreds of small earthquakes rattle Vancouver Island. and the Red Cross will be there to care for them. , * NOTE: Hazard maps for each jurisdiction will only be included if that jurisdiction is at risk to that hazard., Copyright Island County. Hey Biden! Third, the South Whidbey Island Fault running from northwest to southeast of the southern tip of the island. This kind of grouping gives us information about how common earthquakes might be and how large an area may be affected. We work closely with the Washington Emergency Management Division, the Washington Seismic Safety Committee, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure that the best-available science is used in the development of hazard mitigation plans. Additionally, because the continent moves up and over the ocean plate, large amounts of sea water are displaced and cause damaging tsunamis. View Earthquake Map Faults Interactive fault map and comprehensive geologically based information on known or suspected active faults and folds in the United States. Finding nothing of serious monetary value, the companies abandoned reams of information they had gathered through seismic surveys.