Strain measurements and the potential for a great subduction earthquake off the coast of Washington

J.C. Savage; M. Lisowski

doi:10.1126/science.252.5002.101

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Strain measurements and the potential for a great subduction earthquake off the coast of Washington

J.C. Savage·M. Lisowski

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Abstract

Geodetic measurements of deformation in northwestern Washington indicate that strain is accumulating at a rate close to that predicted by a model of the Cascadia subduction zone in which the plate interface underlying the continental slope and outer continental shelf is currently locked but the remainder of the interface slips continuously. Presumably this locked segment will eventually rupture in a great thrust earthquake with a down-dip extent greater than 100 kilometers.

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Source-reported bounding extent: 45.903336901067064° to 49.106072797934445° latitude; -124.70618040801821° to -122.25509920552555° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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J.C. Savage, M. Lisowski. 1991. Strain measurements and the potential for a great subduction earthquake off the coast of Washington. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.252.5002.101

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