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Multifault earthquake threat for Seattle region revealed by mass tree mortality

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Re: Multifault earthquake threat for Seattle region revealed by mass tree mortality

#21

Post by ianburrell »

imbusy111 wrote: post #8

Cascadia Subduction Zone[1] is why I never considered living in Seattle/Portland once I found out about it. Funny, cause I live in the SF Bay Area, where the earthquakes are frequent, but they can never reach the magnitude of what's possible by the Cascadia Subduction Zone. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_subduction_zone

The Cascadia quake will be about same damage to Seattle and Portland as Bay Area quake. It could be up to magnitude 9 but the fault is 60 mi away from the cities. The big difference is that it will affect the whole area. And that PNW is way behind in infrastructure.

Re: Multifault earthquake threat for Seattle region revealed by mass tree mortality

#22

Post by dkasper »

dataflow wrote: post #13
imbusy111 wrote: post #8

Cascadia Subduction Zone[1] is why I never considered living in Seattle/Portland once I found out about it. Funny, cause I live in the SF Bay Area, where the earthquakes are frequent, but they can never reach the magnitude of what's possible by the Cascadia Subduction Zone. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_subduction_zone

> Funny, cause I live in the SF Bay Area, where the earthquakes are frequent, but they can never reach the magnitude of what's possible by the Cascadia Subduction Zone. What makes you think a big one ("The Big One") isn't going to hit the Bay Area?

From what I’ve read the faults in the Bay Area can’t really generate above an 8.0, whereas the cascadia zone can produce much larger events (remember a 9.0 is 10x the intensity of 8.0). It has to do with the size and type of the faults.

Re: Multifault earthquake threat for Seattle region revealed by mass tree mortality

#23

Post by tony_cannistra »

A particularly crazy thing I learned from some friends who I know who work in this field is that they use underwater hydraulic chainsaws (!) to sample some of these trees.

https://www.stanleyinfrastructure.com/products/underwater-ch...

The field work in general seems very wet for this kind of research. (my partner did lots of it for her graduate work)

Re: Multifault earthquake threat for Seattle region revealed by mass tree mortality

#24

Post by tony_cannistra »

mhb wrote: post #14

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big...

Some friends I know who work in earthquakes maintain that this article caused a measurable increase in the amount of funding available for earthquake research.

Re: Multifault earthquake threat for Seattle region revealed by mass tree mortality

#25

Post by Exuma »

mhb wrote: post #14

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big...

This article actually is loaded with inaccuracies. I once called the local earthquake office where I live, where the local scientists and such work.

They said this article is the bane of their existence because of people calling into their office with false beliefs that have just propagated into fear over time.

I dont even think the sentence got out of my mouth "so about that article I saw...", I was calling to see if my area was in danger of a tsunami, and she gave relieved my fears greatly.

It will be bad, but also there's a lot more nuance to it.

Re: Multifault earthquake threat for Seattle region revealed by mass tree mortality

#26

Post by vidanay »

eigenform wrote: post #18
vidanay wrote: post #4

Bizarre...I just watched this video this evening. "Great Earthquakes of the Pacific Northwest" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ7Qc3bsxjI

Nick Zentner has a lot more content on YouTube too (and it's all very lovely!), see https://www.youtube.com/@GeologyNick

Yes, I've watched 10-15 of them so far.

Re: Multifault earthquake threat for Seattle region revealed by mass tree mortality

#27

Post by ksenzee »

xattt wrote: post #15
dataflow wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Funny, cause I live in the SF Bay Area, where the earthquakes are frequent, but they can never reach the magnitude of what's possible by the Cascadia Subduction Zone. What makes you think a big one ("The Big One") isn't going to hit the Bay Area?

I’m wondering how far the big one will be felt. As egocentric as my question is, will I feel it on the East coast?

It won’t be _that_ big. They’ll feel it as far as Idaho maybe.

Re: Multifault earthquake threat for Seattle region revealed by mass tree mortality

#29

Post by carbocation »

dkasper wrote: post #22
dataflow wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Funny, cause I live in the SF Bay Area, where the earthquakes are frequent, but they can never reach the magnitude of what's possible by the Cascadia Subduction Zone. What makes you think a big one ("The Big One") isn't going to hit the Bay Area?

From what I’ve read the faults in the Bay Area can’t really generate above an 8.0, whereas the cascadia zone can produce much larger events (remember a 9.0 is 10x the intensity of 8.0). It has to do with the size and type of the faults.

Yes: a 7.8 is thought to be the max in the Bay Area, as far as I understand. E.g., https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/only-one-bay-are...

Re: Multifault earthquake threat for Seattle region revealed by mass tree mortality

#30

Post by ksenzee »

imbusy111 wrote: post #8

Cascadia Subduction Zone[1] is why I never considered living in Seattle/Portland once I found out about it. Funny, cause I live in the SF Bay Area, where the earthquakes are frequent, but they can never reach the magnitude of what's possible by the Cascadia Subduction Zone. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_subduction_zone

On the other hand, Seattle is one of the best places in the world to ride out climate change, which is 100% happening, and happening already. It’s all a numbers game.
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