fault lines in puget sound

According to the Washington state Department of Natural Resources, more than 1,000 earthquakes happen in Washington state each year! It is not known to be seismic indeed, there is very little seismicity south of the Tacoma Basin as far as Chehalis[169] and not even conclusively established to be a fault. PSE | Energize Eastside Improvements Project Ongoing mapping is revealing more faults. KUOW - Turkey's fault line is similar to faults under Puget Sound Cluster of earthquakes in Puget Sound considered 'normal', earthquake researchers say. [96] As the juxtaposition of various disparate tectonic structures in northwest Washington requires significant strike-slip movement, it is further expected that this contact will be a major fault.[97]. Simply put, the basement rock on the west side of Puget Sound does not match the basement rock on the east side. It is coincident with, and possibly a result of uplift on, the Rattlesnake Mountain Fault Zone (RMFZ), a band of at least eleven faults that show both dip-slip (vertical) and right-lateral strike-slip motion. Based on this and geophysical anomalies it was inferred that there is a major, active strike-slip fault zone running from the south end of Hood Canal, up Dabob Bay, and continuing north on land. Nurse Recruiter at VA Puget Sound health care, 206-764-2487. Kinematic analysis suggests that if shortening (compression) in the Puget Lowland is directed to the northeast (i.e., parallel to Hood Canal and the Saddle Mountain deformation zone) and thus oblique to the Dewatto lineament, it should be subject to both strike-slip and dip-slip forces, implying a fault. [45] The Leech River Fault has been identified as the northern edge of the Crescent Formation (aka Metchosin Formation, part of the Siletzia terrane that underlies much of western Washington and Oregon). The Straight Creek Fault is a major structure in the North Cascades, but has not been active for over 30 million years. [59] Another study identified an unusually broad band of scarps passing between Bothell and Snohomish, with several scarps in the vicinity of King County's controversial Brightwater regional sewage treatment plant showing at least four and possibly nine events on the SWIF in the last 16,400 years. [206] This line may also mark the northwestern boundary of the SWCC. Also, the sedimentary Chuckanut Formation (part of the NWCS, green) north of the DMF correlates to the Suak and Roslyn Formations just north of Manastash Ridge. They run . These faults are: the Kopiah Fault (note the curious curve), Newaukum Fault, Coal Creek Fault, and three other unnamed faults. However, the SWCC is relatively shallow (no more than 15 km deep), and likely is draped over pre-Tertiary bedrock. [87], Rattlesnake Mountain is a prominent NNW trending ridge just west of North Bend (about 25 miles east of Seattle). However, the Hood Canal fault has been "largely inferred"[147] due to a paucity of evidence, including lack of definite scarps and any other signs of active seismicity. Earthquake - Emergency Management | seattle.gov [142]) This reflects westward thrusting of the Seattle Uplift into the Dewatto basin, a northwestern extension of the Tacoma basin. [180], That Olympia and the south Sound are at risk of major earthquakes is shown by evidence of subsidence at several locations in southern Puget Sound some 1100 years ago. Base map is hillshaded DEM derived from LiDAR data (pixel size 1.8 m) from Puget Sound LiDAR Consortium; illumination from azimuth 05, at 5 above the horizon; datum is NAD83, UTM zone 10N. Toll Free 1-800-523-5044. American Seattle Cruise Reviews - Cruise Critic Geologic map of southwestern Washington (GM-34). And the magnitude used to generate that wave is only about 7.5, as opposed to a magnitude-9 earthquake off the coast. Black lines show the South Whidbey Island Fault Zone, the Seattle Fault Zone and the Tacoma Fault Zone. A single earthquake in Seattle could cause a catastrophic situation for the northwest corner of the state, a new report from Washington's Department of Natural Resources found. 39 earthquakes in the past 365 days. The Cascadia Fault is 620 miles long off the coast of Washington and British Columbia. This is being obliquely overridden by the North American plate coming out of the northeast, which has formed a bend in the subducting plate and in the forearc basin above it. The ultimate driver of the stresses that cause earthquakes are the motions of the tectonic plates: material from the Earth's mantle rises at spreading centers, and moves out as plates of oceanic crust which eventually are subducted under the more buoyant plates of continental crust. [173] One reason for caution is that a detailed gravity survey was unable to resolve whether the Olympia structure is, or is not, a fault. A principal finding is that "[c]rustal seismicity in the southern Puget Sound region appears to be controlled by a key block of Crescent Formation occurring just south of the Seattle fault. Geologic Map. This seems geologically reasonable, as both the SWIF and RMFZ appear to be the contact between Tertiary Crescent Formation basement of Puget Sound on the west and the older Mesozoic (pre-Tertiary) mlange belt basement rocks under the Cascades on the east.[110]. 3511 NE Second St. Renton, WA 98056. Of great interest here is that both the northern lobe of the SWCC and the Carbon River anticline are aligned towards Tiger Mountain (an uplifted block of the Puget Group of sedimentary and volcanic deposits typical of the Puget Lowland) and the adjacent Raging River anticline (see map). Tsunami waves would reach Seattle within minutes after earthquake [115] This seems reasonable enough, as Hood Canal is a prominent physiographic boundary between the Olympic Mountains and Puget Lowlands, and believed to be the location of a major fault. Recent EQ List There is evidence that the Tacoma Fault connects with the White River River Fault (WRF) via the EPZ and Federal Way, under the Muckleshoot Basin (see map),[137] and thence to the Naches River Fault. Devils Mountain Fault Zone, Northern Puget Sound, Washington [61], North of Everett is an area of parallel ridges and stream drainages oriented approximately NW-SE, evident even on non-geological maps. [75], The strongly expressed topographical lineaments at the north end of the Rogers Belt pose a perplexing problem, as they show no definite offset where they are bisected by the left-lateral oblique-slip Devils Mountain Fault. $30-$33/hr Electrician Job at University of Puget Sound However, there are indications that the fault is segmented, which might limit rupturing and earthquake magnitude.[36]. [131], The Tacoma Fault was first identified by Gower, Yount & Crosson (1985) as a gravitational anomaly ("structure K") running east across the northern tip of Case and Carr Inlets, then southeast under Commencement Bay and towards the town of Puyallup. Puget Sound quake likely in Seattle Fault zone, geologists say - Phys.org Shallow fault below Seattle went undiscovered for a millennium [44] Another problem with the SWIF/RMFZ as CRBF is that a large westward step is required to connect from the RMFZ to the Saint Helens Zone (SHZ; see map), whereas the RMFZ turns easterly to align with the OWL. E.g., mapping along the Rattlesnake Mountain Fault Zone has revealed a complex network of active or potentially active faults across (and likely beyond) the lower Snoqualmie Valley, including the Cherry Creek Fault Zone, scene of the 1996 M 5.3 Duvall earthquake. The history and capabilities of the Frigid Creek Fault are not known. The Seattle Fault is the most studied of the regional faults, which has led to several models of its structure, which may also be relevant to other faults. [114] An early view was that "the Seattle Fault appears to be truncated by the Hood Canal fault and does not extend into the Olympic Mountains". [123] Other studies have faults extending NW or WNW from the SF towards Dabob Bay;[124] these are now recognized as part of the Dabob Bay fault zone. [70] Although the intervening section has not been mapped, geologists believe the GFFZ connects with the McMurray FZ to the north, and forms the eastern boundary of the Everett Basin. And though the faults in this area are not notably seismogenic, the southeast striking faults seem to be en echelon with the Olympia structure (fault? Initially it was not specified, and rather vaguely indicated to be west of Restoration Point (i.e., west of Puget Sound). (1997) a slab of rock mainly basalts of the Crescent Formation about 20km thick is being pushed up a "master ramp" of deeper material; this forms the Seattle Uplift. This MSH-MR-GP lineament is believed to reflect a "long-lived deep-seated lithospheric flaw that has exerted major control on transfer of magma to the upper crust of southern Washington for approximately the last 25 [million years]";[203] it has been attributed to the geometry of the subducting Juan de Fuca plate.[205]. The question of where on Puget Sound the line would ultimately end was intentionally left open, and the region's fledgling cities began competing furiously for the good fortune of a major railroad terminus. 112 earthquakes in the past 365 days. They estimate the fault is within a few miles of the surface and was active as recently as 1,000 to 1,100 years ago. (Links with more information on various hazards can be found at Seattle Fault.). [158] Vertical movement on these faults has created prominent scarps that have dammed Price Lake and (just north of Saddle Mountain) Lilliwaup Swamp. . These are usually fairly short, and not believed to be significantly seismogenic. These lineaments have been associated with possible zones of faulting in the crust and subducting plate.[212]. Could a Tsunami Hit Puget Sound? - Washington Sea Grant Please follow the steps below: . Its capable magnitude is a megathrust quake exceeding 9.0. Part of the Snohomish River Delta between Everett and Marysville could get nearly 6 feet, and Seattle's Harbor Island could be inundated with nearly 4 feet of water. It's the other counties in the Puget . The Puget Sound faults under the heavily populated Puget Sound region (Puget Lowland) of Washington state form a regional complex of interrelated seismogenic (earthquake-causing) geologic faults. Some upper-crustal formations (such as the Western and Eastern Melange Belts, see, There is a general north or northeast directed compression within the Lowland causing folds, which eventually break to become, This page was last edited on 11 January 2023, at 17:28. OLYMPIA, Wash. - A 9. [198], Does the SHZ extend north? Rainier, along the DDMFZ, and under Puget Sound between Olympia and approximately the Southern Whidbey Island Fault. This is a seemingly accidental alignment of topographic features that runs roughly east-southeast from the north side of the Olympic Peninsula to the Wallowa Mountains in northeastern Oregon. The Bellingham BayChaplain fault zone was first mapped by Cheney in 1976 as running from near Chaplain Lake (north of Sultan) NNW past Bellingham Bay. Can be formed by differential erosion of adjacent hard and soft rock; by localized erosion, for example at the edge of a river terrace; by movement of a landslide; or by a shallow earthquake that is large enough to break the Earth's surface. Page 2 of 4 / 2012-2013 Type of Earthquake Most earthquake hazards result from ground shaking caused by seismic waves that radiate out from a fault when it ruptures. This is only one of a series of active large crustal faults in the Puget Lowland. If the entire 125km length ruptured in a single event the resulting earthquake could be as large as magnitude 7.5. "Puget Sound and related inland marine waters, including all salt waters of the state of Washington inside the international boundary line between Washington and British Columbia, and lying east of the junction of the Pacific Ocean and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the rivers and streams draining to Puget Sound as mapped by water resource . [85] The Tokul Creek Fault (TCF) strikes NNE from Snoqualmie, aligned with a possible offset of the Western Melange Belt[86] and with a valley that cuts through to the Skykomish River; it is now believed to be of regional significance. Tsunami waves as high as 42 feet could crash into Seattle within This may explain why the Seattle and Tacoma faults seem to have ruptured at nearly the same time.[127]. The earthquake scenario used in the modeling is a "very large, low-probability" magnitude 7.5 earthquake on the Seattle Fault, which runs east-west through Puget Sound and downtown Seattle.. Cheney also mapped the Lake Chaplain Fault, parallel and just east of the MVF, from Lake Chaplain to Granite Falls. The Puget Sound region is not just potentially seismic, it is actively seismic. The Puget Sound faults under the heavily populated Puget Sound region (Puget Lowland) of Washington state form a regional complex of interrelated seismogenic (earthquake-causing) geologic faults. Does the public have a right to walk across a - Puget Sound Institute Marine technician Sony Brugger, right, retrieves underwater sampling equipment during a December 2020 research cruise aboard the RV Rachel Carson. [60] Such seismic hazards were a major issue in the siting of the plant, as it is tucked between two active strands, and the influent and effluent pipelines cross multiple zones of disturbed ground. This is supported by geologically recent scarps and other signs of active faulting on the Saddle Mountain faults, and also discovery of a geophysical lineament running through Pleasant Harbor (south of Brinnon) that appears to truncate strands of the Seattle Fault. There is no firm evidence that this has occurred in the Seattle fault zone near Puget Sound, although a low terrace of 1 m or less formed during a moderate earthquake would be difficult to. Washington State Earthquake Hazard Map Seattle Fault Lines 552 - Hood Canal fault zone (Class B) 570 - Seattle fault zone 572 - Southern Whidbey Island fault zone 575 - Saddle Mountain faults 581 - Tacoma fault zone USA Earthquake Hazard Map Source: United States Geological Survey Ready to retrofit? [170] Gower, Yount & Crosson (1985), labelling it "structure L", mapped it from Shelton (near the Olympic foothills) southeast to Olympia (pretty nearly right under the state Legislature), directly under the town of Rainier, to a point due east of the Doty Fault, and apparently marking the northeastern limit of a band of southeast striking faults in the Centralia-Chehalis area. One study of seismic vulnerability of bridges in the Seattle Tacoma area[4] estimated that an M 7 earthquake on the Seattle or Tacoma faults would cause nearly as much damage as a M 9 subduction earthquake. Puget Sound and San Juan islands. Movement on the southern segment of the DDMFZ that converges with the SCF the Darrington Fault was, as on the SCF itself, right-lateral. According to the recent seismological studies, the Seattle Fault is believed to be a zone of thrust or reverse faults that strikes through Seattle in the densely populated Puget Lowland of western Washington (Johnson et al., 1999). [21] The OWL appears to be a deep-seated structure over which the shallower crust of the Puget Lowland is being pushed, but this remains speculative. On the east, the Devils Mountain Fault connects with the south striking Darrington Fault (not shown) which runs to the OWL, and the Southern Whidbey Island Fault extends via the Rattlesnake Mountain Fault Zone (dashed line) to the OWL. It follows the Bainbridge Island ferry route east under Puget Sound and the route of Interstate 90 toward, and possibly beyond, the Cascade Mountains. Next to a 4-6 lines highways with 90db noise and cancerous pollution. Especially as seismic reflection data[135] shows some faulting continuing east across Vashon Island and the East Passage of Puget Sound (the East Passage Zone, EPZ) towards Federal Way and an east-striking anticline. The Seattle uplift, and possibly the Black Hills uplift, consist of Crescent Formation basalt that was exposed when it was forced up a ramp of some kind. Energize Eastside project is building a new substation and upgrading approximately 16 miles of existing transmission lines from Redmond to Renton. [58], Paleoseismological studies of the SWIF are scant. [216], An Everett Fault, running east-northeast along the bluffs between Mukilteo and Everett that is, east of the SWIF and at the southern edge of the Everett Basin has been claimed, but this does not appear to have been corroborated.[217]. [218] This would pose significantly greater seismic hazard than currently recognized, especially as the White River Fault is believed to connect with the Naches River Fault that extends along Highway 410 on the east side of the Cascades towards Yakima. Just four miles (6km) south the city of Oak Harbor straddles several stands of the Utsalady Point Fault (UPF) as they head roughly east-southeast towards Utsalady Point at the north end of Camano Island. This pocket is catching a stream of terranes (crustal blocks about 20 to 30km thick[18]) which the Pacific plate is pushing up the western edge of North America, and in the process imparting a bit of clockwise rotation to southwestern Washington and most of Oregon; the result has been characterized as a train wreck. From the north these are (see the map at right): The Hood Canal Fault (and its possible extensions) and Saddle Mountain faults to the west are believed to form the western boundary to all this. The map also shows potentially active faults from a separate 2014 report (click here to download). Strawberry Point and Utsalady Point faults, "The Puget Lowland is a north-south-trending structural basin that is flanked by Mesozoic and Tertiary rocks of the Cascade Range on the east and by Eocene rocks of the Olympic Mountains on the west. Fault lines in the New Madrid seismic zone are being mapped, thanks in part to . Seismic tomography studies show a change in seismic velocities across the northern end of the SWIF, suggesting that this is also part of the Coast RangeCascade contact. . Earthquakes and Faults | WA - DNR PSE | Technical Resources for Construction - Puget Sound Energy Very little is known about the structure of the deep crust (below about 30km or 19 miles), though this and other seismic tomography studies (such as Ramachandran 2001) provide tantalizing glimpses. While there is a bit of uplifted pre-Tertiary rock between the SPF and UPF, this does not truly fit the uplift and basin pattern described above because of the small scale (2km wide rather than around 20), and because the uplift here is entirely like a wedge being popped out between two nearly vertical faults, rather than being forced over a ramp such as is involved with the Seattle and Tacoma faults. Yet the SHZ and WRZ may be integral to the regional geology of Puget Sound, possibly revealing some deep and significant facets, and may also present significant seismic hazard.

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fault lines in puget sound