Geoscientist Brian Sherrod stands near the submerged southern Whidbey Island fault line at the Brightwater Treatment Plant in Woodinville. View of the Sunset Lake liquefaction failure about three weeks after the earthquake. The moment magnitude scale replaced the Richter scale in the late 1970s. The SWIF has been assessed by the USGS as capable of generating the largest crustal earthquake in Puget Sound. Earthquake Hazard Maps | Sound Seismic The southern Whidbey Island fault zone (SWIF) is a mostly concealed, northwest-trending structure extending across southern Whidbey Island toward Vancouver Island (Figures 1 and 2). Make an emergency response plan for you and your family. On Dec. 15th, a small swarm even hit near Bremerton, a few miles away from downtown. Theres approximately a 14% chance of another approximately M9 earthquake occurring in the next 50 years. This image shows the how the 1700 AD tsunami from the Pacific Northwest crossed the Pacific Ocean. The Darrington-Devils Mountain fault zone is located in southern Skagit County and northern Snohomish County. 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 affiliate sales will help us to continue the hard work we are putting in this website. Faults can also occur within a tectonic plate when the plate itself is deforming. A baristas hand hovers over the bean grinder. Emergency planners all had a simple message: Its not IF a disaster will happen, its WHEN. % It may not be possible to find water, fuel, or food until services are restored days or even weeks after the event. Finding nothing of serious monetary value, the companies abandoned reams of information they had gathered through seismic surveys. By finding the age of the deformed layer, a paleoseismologist can determine the minimum age of the fault. It devastated the coast of the Pacific Northwest and sent an orphan tsunami to Japan. The northwestern part of the fault zone forms the northeastern limit of the Port Townsend basin (Brocher and others, 2001 #4718). And while scientists keep digging for more information and more situational awareness of what we face, the other problem is human. All faults, regardless of size, can be dangerous if they rupture. Many universities and other organizations (such as Cascadia Region Earthquake Working Group and the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network) also work to understand active faults in Washington. STAY THERE until the shaking stops. A seiche is a large standing wave caused by the resonance of a particular period of wave energy. This kind of grouping gives us information about how common earthquakes might be and how large an area may be affected. A special type of shallow fault, called a subduction zone or megathrust, occurs where an oceanic plate moves beneath a continental plate. But Forson says you also need to know what to do when the shaking happens. This is called liquefaction and is discussed in the next section. Watch the video below to learn how you can be ready for the next earthquake. Earthquakes cause damage by moving and shaking the ground, sometimes for several minutes. Despite its location well offshore, a Cascadia quake would likely kill at least 10,000 and injure more than 30,000 in Washington, Murphy found. Larger crustal faults, such as the Seattle fault and southern Whidbey Island fault zone, can produce earthquakes up to magnitude 7.5. 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. PI22343). A small quake was registered in the Coupeville area just this summer. The San Andreas in California, for example, left gaping scars in the Earths crust, at the surface. Within minutes, he spotted something groundbreaking. Some parts of major cities (including Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia) have been built on land that was reclaimed from soft and wet tidal ocean areas. After the shaking stopped the sand regained its strength. 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. 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. District Court: (800) 946-9765, South Whidbey Island Fault (SWIF) M7.4 Earthquake Scenario. It could also create dangerous currents and hazards to the north including Everett. Photo courtesy of National Center for Tsunami Research, NOAA. A magnitude 7.4 along the southern Whidbey fault would rattle 18 counties in Washington, according to a federal projection . A lock () or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The Seattle Fault is a zone of multiple shallow east-west thrust faults that cross the Puget Sound Lowland and through Seattle (in the U.S. state of Washington) in the vicinity of Interstate Highway 90.The Seattle Fault was first recognized as a significant seismic hazard in 1992, when a set of reports showed that about 1,100 years ago it was the scene of a major earthquake of about . In this photo, visitors to Green Lake Park near Seattle, Washington, have parked their bicycles as they look at the cracks made by the April 1949 earthquake. Some residents may lose housing temporarily or permanently. The southern Whidbey Island fault: An active structure in the Puget 4 0 obj 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. Finding Concealed Active Faults: Extending the Southern Whidbey Island Until much more recently, no one really understood what it could do to a region of over 4 million people. The April 1949 Tacoma earthquake measured 7.1 on the Richter Scale and caused damage from southern Oregon to British Columbia. Recent geologic mapping by Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) geologists reveals that this major fault zone extends through the Snoqualmie River valley in the vicinity of Carnation, Fall City, and North Bend. South Whidbey fault has potential for major quake There must be tsunami deposits of the same age along much of the Oregon and Washington coast in order to qualify as an earthquake. Other faults may lie entirely underground, or could be covered by vegetation and (or) sediment. 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 The material becomes so weak that it behaves more like a liquid than a solid. Most are too small to be felt or cause damage. Not all faults are active. Please visit our Geologic Information Portal and Geologic Hazard Maps page for the most up-to-date listing of all of our hazard maps. Restoring tap water to some homes could take over a year. And being ready means being able to support yourself, your loved ones, your neighborhood for 2 weeks. Doctor reveals the horrors Italian medics are facing in overwhelmed hospitals where dying patients are being left untreated as experts warn UK and US are just two weeks behind Italy and the public are not SCARED enough, An intensive care doctor in northern Italy has described the scale of the crisis Washington has dozens of active faults and fault zones. @\;L;=}%FC*l $@ 4x: 888O~xrsxx'/*rGRF\gI%~x(G-^-hjjq kx/V ou0hyegy0;ei`Tx&ilZ )TmZ$vb,`bQm|DR5x/ Evidence for Quaternary movement on the southern Whidbey Island fault includes (1) offset and disrupted upper Quaternary strata imaged on seismic-reflection profiles; (2) borehole data that suggests as much as 420 m of structural relief on the Tertiary-Quaternary boundary in the fault zone; (3) several meters of displacement along exposed faults in upper Quaternary sediments; (4) late Quaternary folds with limb dips of as much as ???9?? The fault has at least three almost parallel strands within a 4- to 7-mile-wide band, stretching eastward from Vancouver Island. Geologists at the Survey spend time mapping the geology of the state, looking for faults, folds, landslides, and different rock types. The most recent hit roughly 2,700 years ago. Someone screams. HomePrograms and ServicesGeologyGeologic Hazards. These fault strands follow the valley edges and control the location of the Snoqualmie River along some portions of the valley. Brick chimneys cascade off rooftops. For example, the Cascadia subduction zone has had between 15 to 19 earthquakes over the past 10,000 years. Photo by Steve Palmer. Under a scenario played out in a 2019 U.S. Department of Homeland Security study, state-maintained bridges would be severely damaged, leaving them unusable for months or years. Along the water at Cama Beach State Park, cabins on a bluff overlook Saratoga Passage, facing the general direction of Lake Hancock on Whidbey Island. Consider subscribing to our blog, Washington State Geology News, to receive notifications when new information is published. On a brilliant November day, Sherrod took in the panorama from the parks bluff. One model suggests it extends to about 30 miles east of Yakima. After the earthquake, many things you count on may not be available. Whats up with the 50 US nuclear bombs stored at the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, right on the same fault line California hasnt seen a catastrophic earthquake recently. Tap/click on "gear icon" for options and settings. Faults are features in the Earths crust where rock periodically breaks and moves, releasing seismic energy and creating an earthquake. Both of these things can cause equal or greater damage than the actual earthquake. from Whidbey Island to Vancouver Island (Figure 1). Deformed recessional outwash deposits and Holocene deposits were exposed; three unconformities separated the units. We use the term deep to talk about faults and earthquakes deeper than about 18 miles. The southern Whidbey Island fault, and several others, were exposed for the first time from a camouflage of forest, ocean and glacial sediment. A community meeting about a shelter at the Harbor Inn may have yielded more questions than answers. /L\Axc4Q/w4Ks^#, sRITgZf>,e}iI5,F_ADGc?f e@L. Audio; Before and After Images; Images; Slideshows; Stereograms; Videos; Webcams; . The fault has at least three almost parallel strands within a 4- to 7-mile-wide band, stretching eastward from Vancouver Island. Liquefaction can be a big problem. In this sense, the shaking of the ground is the sound of rocks breaking and moving deep within the Earth. This averages to ~660 to 525 years between events, but there is a lot of variation. Get On The List To Receive Your Daily Dose Of Weird News And Amazing Phenomena. ShakeMapGeologicSummaries - University of Washington Scientists are not sure how far east it goes. This can cause landslides to occur where they wouldnt normally happen. In effect, the wave energy is trapped by the edges of the body of water. This is a hypothetical scenario created by Mark Murphy of the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management. Geologists are constantly trying to better understand the faults in our state. The shaking can damage or destroy buildings and other infrastructure. Washington State Earthquake Hazard Map. Even when an earthquake happens on a fault that doesnt reach the surface, the ground can still show signs of cracking. 3 0 obj The Straight Creek fault in the Cascade Range is an example of this kind of fault and has ~5060 miles of movement across it. Source: United States Geological Survey. The marshy deposits are about a meter higher at Lake Hancock. That could spell trouble not only for its namesake island but for south and north King County and further west. Earthquakes. The more you know what to expect, the better prepared you will be to help yourself, your family, and others around you. The trenches exposed glacial deposits disrupted by faults and liquefaction features. Both types of faults can cause ground shaking during an earthquake and may cause permanent deformation of the ground. Small fires are the most common hazard after an earthquake. The Eastern Sierra fault along the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California is a good example of an active normal fault. California Department of Conservation. The western half of Washington state is considered earthquake country, with the potential for very large quakes. Large earthquakes are likely to happen in Washington during your lifetime. These quakes are capable of magnitudes from 7 to over 9. 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. Seattle Fault - Wikipedia Moving inland, the Seattle Fault is capable of a magnitude 7. An earthquake along the southern Whidbey Island fault reshaped the land some 2,700 years ago. Other faults are inactive and are left over from much older periods of deformation. Seismic waves travel at hundreds to thousands of miles per hour and quickly reach the surface where they are felt or measured. Why is Strange Sounds focusing so much on disaster preps? The moment magnitude scale is a type of logarithmic scale, where each increase of 1 means ~32 times more energy is released. (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. Emergency Management Earthquake - Island County, Washington 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. 1 School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada 2 Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA Quake fault under Whidbey linked to potential mainland dangers Additionally, because the continent moves up and over the ocean plate, large amounts of sea water are displaced and cause damaging tsunamis. What are the most dangerous fault lines around Seattle - Strange Sounds Its significantly larger than the Seattle Fault, and South Whidbey could hand us a magnitude 7.5 earthquake. Bubbles of methane rising from seafloor in Puget Sound Over time, fault movement has created some interesting geologic features. 121 N East Camano Dr It is not yet possible to predict when a fault will have an earthquake. In the area of North Bend, the fault zone is 4 miles wide and consists of a series of parallel faults. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The buildings sank when ground shaking weakened the underlying sediments. These include (from north to south, see map) the: Devils Mountain Fault Strawberry Point and Utsalady Point faults Southern Whidbey Island Fault (SWIF) Rogers Belt (Mount Vernon Fault/Granite Falls Fault Zone) Cherry Creek Fault Zone Rattlesnake Mountain Fault Zone Seattle Fault Tacoma Fault Saddle Mountain Faults For example, a M7 earthquake releases 32 times more energy than a M6 earthquake, and 1,000 times more than a M5 earthquake. Geologic maps of 7.5-minute topographic quadrangles covering parts of the Seattle fault and southern Whidbey Island fault zone are available on the DNR website as: Sign-up for DNR enewsletters. Sherrods son has since completed graduate school in applied geosciences. The 1949 earthquake near Tacoma triggered a landslide near the Tacoma Narrows that caused a local tsunami. The shaking can also cause landslides, surface ruptures, ground cracks, liquefaction, tsunamis, and seiches (standing waves). This northwest-trending fault zone extends more than 65 km across Possession Sound, southern Whidbey Island, Admiralty Inlet into the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca. The southern Whidbey Island fault should be considered capable of generating large earthquakes (Ms ?? Each type has different kinds of earthquakes. At a downtown coffee shop, the mugs begin to chatter. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Hover over a cluster of earthquakes to learn about the different types in the Pacific Northwest. By sampling sediment from the marsh to the beach berm, Sherrod and his research partner, Harvey Kelsey, developed a timeline of the oceans climb. Notable earthquakes in bold happened in Washington. Buildings could sustain extensive damage. Hey Biden! Depending on the type of fault, the ground can move laterally, vertically, or a combination of both. Southern Whidbey Island Fault Zone Mapped through Snoqualmie Valley The Cascadia subduction zone just off the Washington coast is this kind of fault and is one of the largest geologic hazards to our state. The Safe America Foundation suggests texting as a way of communication. Finding faults and knowing how often they rupture is one of the most important tasks to keep society safe from these hazards. Though it was not directly related to Johnsons work, he asked a friend working for Mobil Oil to pass along the information. It is capable of generating severe earthquakes that would impact the entire west coast. 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. Landslides can be caused by strong ground shaking during an earthquake. Click the "Seismogenic Features" button in the Map Contents window to display faults and earthquakes. Johnson and others (1996 #4751) described the structure and stratigraphy of the southern Whidbey Island fault zone. The next earthquake is inevitable, but the variability makes it difficult to know exactly when. Once the shaking has stopped, exit the building if it is safe to do so. 572 Last Review Date: 2016-11-29 Earthquakes on faults like these may cause tsunamis in the Puget Sound region. People who look for evidence of past movement on faults are usually called paleoseismologists (from paleo-ancient and seismologist-one who studies earthquakes). A drill rig left of the blockade is collecting data about the failure. One model suggests it extends to about 30 miles east of Yakima. Even if the earthquake is too small to be felt by people, seismographs can detect it. Dishes jitter off tables, shattering on the floor. For example, it is unlikely that you will be able to use electricity, cell phones, or the internet. You have entered an incorrect email address! Nearly all earthquakes occur on faults, features in the Earth where rocks move past each other. The publication Faults and Earthquakes in Washington State is a state-wide compilation of active faults and folds. The Mercalli Intensity scale is another historical way to measure the intensity of an earthquake. Because after a region-wide event, it could take that long for help to come from the rest of the country and world. Electricity, water, natural gas, and phones may not work. Once in the open, Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Learn about at-risk areas and become prepared. The Survey is working with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and Reid Middleton, an engineering firm, to perform seismic safety assessments of 220 school buildings across the state. A reverse fault occurs when two blocks are pushed together and one moves up and over the other. PO Box 5000 Most damage and loss of life in earthquakes is a result of ground shaking. Disoriented drivers wonder whats wrong with their cars, then realize something much bigger is amiss. Earthquake Fault Maps in Seattle and Washington State These cookies do not store any personal information. South Whidbey Island Fault Earthquake Scenario: 7.4 Magnitude Buildings Damaged: 320,776 Fatalities: 90 - 432 Injuries: 2,920 - 7,361 Economic Loss: $15,590,000,000 SeaTac Fault Earthquake Scenario: 7.2 Magnitude Buildings Damaged: 375,954 Fatalities: 16 - 123 Injuries: 1,394 - 3,404 Economic Loss: $13,400,000,000 Tacoma Fault Emergency Management Maps - Island County, Washington Photo by G.K. Gilbert, from the Steinbrugge Collection of the UC Berkeley Earthquake Engineering Research Center. Throughout the world shallow earthquakes generally refer to earthquakes that are less than ~45 miles deep. Image from the, Aquatic Lands Habitat Restoration Program, South Lake Washington Restoration Project, Scientific and Technical Support to Aquatic Programs, Washington Geologic Survey Publications Catalog, Washington Geologic Survey Photograph Collection, Wetlands of High Conservation Value Map Viewer, Timber Sale Remaining Volume by Purchaser Reports, Spanish - Brocha, Salal y Otros Productos Forestales, Complete: Baker to Bellingham Non-Motorized Recreation Plan, Community Wildfire Resilience and Preparedness, Utility Wildland Fire Prevention Advisory Committee, Blanchard, Reiter, Walker Valley and Nearby Islands, Teanaway Community Forest Advisory Committee, Teanaway Community Forest Advisory Committee Past Meetings, Faults and Earthquakes in Washington State, Pacific Northwest Seismic Network Seismo Blog, https://buildingfailures.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/tiltedbuilding.jpg, Pacific Geoscience Center of the Natural Resources of Canada. This fundamental tool for earth scientists, maps show map units, faults and folds, cross sections, and other regional or local features, depending on map scale. Puget Sound Earthquake Faults - Seattle Earthquake Faults This means that when the Seattle fault ruptures the south side of the fault moves up relative to the north side. Quaternary Fault and Fold Database of the United States - USGS If they know theres data available that could help them in any way, they want to get it. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. By Julia-Grace Sanders The Everett Herald May 14, 2021 2:40 pm, Luella Meaux: November 21, 1929 January 21, 2023, Claudia Anderson: October 1, 1939 January 31, 2023, Chieko Yamane Miller: July 26, 1936 February 16, 2023, Guarding the flock: Chicken farms rely on specialized dogs, Flying colors: Irish artist finds success on Whidbey. Additional fault studies by state and federal geologists in the next few years will help determine the frequency and severity of earthquakes along these fault zones. The Southern Whidbay Island Fault represents another major earthquake threat for Seattle and its residents. The crustal faults the Seattle Fault, the South Whidbey Island Fault, the Tacoma Fault those are less well known, said Forson. Photo from, Liquefaction can be a big problem. Shallow faults produce earthquakes in the upper 18 miles (30 kilometers) of the Earths crust. South Whidbey Island Fault (SWIF) M7.4 Earthquake Scenario Fire (Vegetation Condition Class) . This is a very good example of a strike-slip fault. The Survey has developed several types of hazard maps for different types of earthquake- and fault-related hazards: The maps are used by state and local governments to develop and update hazard-mitigation and response plans, and to mark geologically hazardous areas.
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