southern whidbey island fault map southern whidbey island fault map

Sherrod remembers his son, age 5 at the time, playing with toy trucks on the mossy banks of the marsh while the scientists worked. Higher risk areas are in orange and lower risk areas are in green. We just dont know when.. The last major earthquake was over 300 years ago. Contact Us, Whidbey Office southern Whidbey Island fault zone (Class A) No. Click the "Seismogenic Features" button in the Map Contents window to display faults and earthquakes. But it didnt. Learn how your comment data is processed. USA Earthquake Hazard Map. Black lines show the South Whidbey Island Fault Zone, the Seattle Fault Zone and the Tacoma Fault Zone. The fault's length depends on whom you ask, Sherrod said. Photo from Pacific Northwest Seismic Network Seismo Blog. The moment magnitude scale is a type of logarithmic scale, where each increase of 1 means ~32 times more energy is released. The South Whidbey Island Fault is also dangerous. Deep faults can occur where two tectonic plates collide and one of the plates is forced beneath the other. <> Learning earthquake faults around where we live is a first good way to prepare the next devastating earthquake. Hundreds could die, with thousands more injured. At the time, Johnson worked in southwest Washington, searching for natural gas and oil deposits. These aftershocks can last for hours to weeks or months. The biggest one is called the South Whidbey Island fault, and it's thought to run from Victoria, B.C., through Woodinville and possibly beyond. The SWIF was first recognized and mapped at a regional scale by Gower and others (1985) on the basis of gravity and aeromagnetic anomaly maps. This car was parked on sand during the 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. They didnt recognize the significance of what they found. Then the world rattles up and down. The risk is complicated, but there are millions of people who live in the Seattle area, said Forson. Large earthquakes are likely to happen in Washington during your lifetime. The marshy deposits are about a meter higher at Lake Hancock. Ground shaking is a hazard near the epicenter of an earthquake and also in areas far from the earthquake where amplification occurs. When an earthquake happens there will not be time to google what you are supposed to do. Kristin D. Morell 1 *, Christine Regalla 2, Lucinda J. Leonard 3, Colin Amos 4, Vic Levson 5. 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. The buildings in this photo were built on soft materials that liquefied during the 1964 Niigata earthquake in Japan. Seconds later, its as if Whidbey Island is trapped in a cocktail shaker, lurching back and forth. The Cascadia subduction zone along the Washington and Oregon coast is one of the biggest hazards to our state and is a good examples of this kind of fault. Map Releases; Topographic (Topo) Maps; Volcanic Maps; All Maps; Multimedia Gallery. The southern Whidbey Island fault represents a segment of a boundary between two major crustal blocks. In 2017, he began studying the possible aftermath of a major SWIF quake. Other faults are inactive and are left over from much older periods of deformation. Still think well avoid Gods wrath, its not going to happen regardless of what the multi millionaire TV preachers tell you. 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. HAZARD MAPS As part of the Hazard Mitigation Planning process, mapping of the hazards that have the potential to affect the jurisdiction is performed using geographic information systems (GIS) software. Tsunamis are a common result of large earthquakes in Washington. Quaternary Fault and Fold Database of the United States - USGS Sheriff:(360) 679-7310, Juror Recordings Maps. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Hold on to any sturdy shelter until the shaking stops. Geologists do not yet know how often earthquakes happen on this fault. After a large earthquake it is common to have other large earthquakes for hours, days, and even weeks. A national credit rating service has improved its opinion of WhidbeyHealths financial future. Moving inland, the Seattle Fault is capable of a magnitude 7. Areas like these are also susceptible to liquefaction. <> The height difference likely was caused by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake on the fault about 2,700 years ago, Sherrod said. Using the stratigraphic column from the Freeport quadrangle map, confirm that you can recognize . Camano Island, WA 98282, Mailing Address Surface Geology | WA - DNR People are already fighting over toilet paper, just imagine what will it be like when they go shopping for food and the shelves are almost empty. Move away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires if you can. Each peak of the Olympics stuck out with picturesque clarity in the distance. Learn about at-risk areas and become prepared. Notice the Seattle Fault Zone bounding the Seattle Basin to the south. You just need one person to crash or a power line to fall over the road, and the roads are unusable.. Hover over a cluster of earthquakes to learn about the different types in the Pacific Northwest. Map of Puget Sound and Hood Canal in north-central - ResearchGate 121 N East Camano Dr For example, a building on soft soil will experience more shaking than the same building on bedrock. And while scientists keep digging for more information and more situational awareness of what we face, the other problem is human. Finding and mapping these faults is an important mission of the Washington Geological Survey. Because they rupture at such great depth, their seismic energy is distributed over a large area. The term active can have different meanings. By sampling sediment from the marsh to the beach berm, Sherrod and his research partner, Harvey Kelsey, developed a timeline of the oceans climb. Earthquakes can be measured in many ways, but the most accepted method is called moment magnitude. A magnitude 7.4 along the southern Whidbey fault would rattle 18 counties in Washington, according to a federal projection . And what were looking at is water.. Charles Richter and Beno Gutenberg discovered that for every magnitude of earthquake, there are about ten times more earthquakes of the next lower magnitude. The map is from a 2007 report (click here to download) on seismic design categories in Washington. If the epicenter is Everett, the SWIF could cause. The affiliate sales will help us to continue the hard work we are putting in this website. If everyone tries to use their cell phones, it can overload the system. That place is the Ocosta School. A seiche is a large standing wave caused by the resonance of a particular period of wave energy. Stop as quickly as safety permits and stay in the vehicle. Why you should be prepared: 3 big earthquake threats in PNW Landslides can be caused by strong ground shaking during an earthquake. Scientists are not sure how far east it goes. The Eastern Sierra fault along the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California is a good example of an active normal fault. What we know about this fault is that its ruptured may times in the pastit will happen again. The southern Whidbey Island fault: An active structure in the Puget Lowland Washington, Geological Society of America Bulletin 1996;108;334-354. You saw its potential in the 9.1 magnitude Tohuku earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan in March 2011. DO NOT get in a doorway. Oil companies descended in search of riches. One model suggests it extends to about 30 miles east of Yakima. Most of the populated areas of the state have a 4080% chance of having an earthquake in the next 50 years. Although we cannot predict exactly when the next earthquake will happen, we can predict the general distribution of earthquake sizes. In Washington, the risk from earthquake-induced landslides is large. A thrust fault is a special kind of reverse fault that has a shallow dip. Until much more recently, no one really understood what it could do to a region of over 4 million people. Were working on pedestrian evacuation maps that show the best routes for pedestrians to take to evacuate, said Forson. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. and the Red Cross will be there to care for them. It will happen; we dont know when.. Here, were looking at one of the bigger faults in the region, he said. For several years, scientists pondered where this important regional fault zone continues southwestward from its mapped location in the Everett area. These quakes are capable of magnitudes from 7 to over 9. Sherrod shrugged his shoulders. Small fires are the most common hazard after an earthquake. This new method allows geologists to see through trees and vegetation to find new faults. Story telling is an important part of the Native tradition and is how their history is passed down to the next generation. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. An earthquake can be a scary event. This part of the Japanese coast had not seen this type of seismic rupture in some 800 years, and what failed was that walls built to keep tsunami waves were not high enough. Earthquakes. Earthquakes and Faults | WA - DNR - Washington State Department of One model suggests it extends to about 30 miles east of Yakima. The next earthquake is inevitable, but the variability makes it difficult to know exactly when. Some residents may lose housing temporarily or permanently. Both of these things can cause equal or greater damage than the actual earthquake. The South Whidbey Island Fault and Darrington Devil's Mountain Fault bound the Everett Basin. This northwest-trending fault comprises a broad (as wide as 6-11 km), steep, northeast-dipping zone that includes several splays with inferred strike-slip, reverse, and thrust displacement. The southern Whidbey Island fault: An active structure in the Puget 3 0 obj This photo shows a fence that was offset about 8.5 feet during the 1906 Great San Francisco Earthquake on the San Andreas fault. Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall down. 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. HomePrograms and ServicesGeologyGeologic Hazards. Devastating wind storms. Drop to your hands and knees. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Superior Court:(800) 254-2755 Faults can also be grouped based on what part of the crust they occur in. Geoscientist Brian Sherrod stands near the submerged southern Whidbey Island fault line at the Brightwater Treatment Plant in Woodinville. 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 Earthquake Hazard Maps | Sound Seismic In the late 1960s, speculators considered the Puget Sound region a frontier for petroleum exploration. Small normal faults are found along the top of folds in eastern Washington in the Saddle Mountain graben. We do not encourage people to evacuate in vehicles. One or possibly two of the unconformities are interpreted as event horizons. This is a very good example of a strike-slip fault. Like a sonogram, the seismic surveys allowed Johnson to see outlines of massive fissures in the earths crust. Also issued a warning for the UK that the Italian chaos could come to Britain Sherrod says practically every place they. There are also many faults that have not been studied enough to know if they are active. Westport currently is the only location with a vertical evacuation structure designed for a tsunami. The Westport area is now the first in North America to have acommunity vertical evacuation structure, a building strong enough to resist earthquake and tsunami wave forces and give people a platform above the expected wave heights. Image from the Pacific Geoscience Center of the Natural Resources of Canada. They didnt grow up here, they havent heard this story. Check out the liquefaction susceptibility and NEHRP site class maps on the Geologic Hazard Maps page. Most of the populated areas of the state have a 4080% chance of having an earthquake in the next 50 years. Landslide at Salmon Beach was triggered by the 1949 Tacoma earthquake and caused a tsunami. An earthquake occurs when rock inside the Earth moves or breaks. Roads, bridges, or ramps may have been damaged by the earthquake. A paleoseismologist will look for surface ruptures along faults and may use carbon-14 dating to learn when the rupture happened. Notable earthquakes in bold happened in Washington. In 1985, with little concrete evidence of its existence, the pair included the possible fault on a geologic map published by the USGS. So I think it is worth your time to learn more about the biggest seismic riskss and major fault lines criss-crossing this part of the Pacific Northwest, namely: Now lets visit the 3 most dangerous earthquake faults for Seattle one by one: The Cascadia Subduction Zone is a giant fault running from Cape Mendocino, Calif. past Oregon and Washington and doesnt end until its north of Vancouver Island in Canada. Do you know what to do if there is an earthquake? These cookies do not store any personal information. Know what to expect. , * NOTE: Hazard maps for each jurisdiction will only be included if that jurisdiction is at risk to that hazard., Copyright Island County. Once in the open, Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Both studies suggested that the SWIF Large earthquakes are less common but can cause significant damage to the things we count on in everyday life, such as buildings, roads, bridges, dams, and utilities. Within minutes, he spotted something groundbreaking. The age of the earthquake is learned by dating the organic material in these tsunami deposits. Black squares are urban sewer outfalls, which don't match the bubble plumes' locations. Standing becomes almost impossible as the jolts turn to rolling waves. This scenario was modeled on the part of the SWIF from Woodinville to just west of Whidbey Island. The southern Whidbey Island fault zone (SWIF), as previously mapped using borehole data, potential field anomalies, and marine seismic reflection surveys, consists of three subparallel, northwest trending strands extending ~100 km from near Vancouver Island to the northern Puget Lowland. Geologists have used the location of these shallow, intermediate, and deep earthquakes to learn about subduction zones throughout the world. The publication Faults and Earthquakes in Washington State is a state-wide compilation of active faults and folds. In this sense, the shaking of the ground is the sound of rocks breaking and moving deep within the Earth. Stories from tribes near Seattle have also helped us to learn that the last earthquake on the Seattle fault was about AD 900950. 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. Sensitive seismographs located throughout the state, and all over the world, measure this seismic energy. When the ground shakes during an earthquake, it moves up and down, acting like additional gravity. People stagger into the streets to avoid an avalanche of debris. Like other faults, when enough stress builds up, the megathrust will rupture. What scientists dont know is its timing interval. The fault has at least three almost parallel strands within a 4- to 7-mile-wide band, stretching eastward from Vancouver Island. Faults often occur at and near the boundary of large tectonic plates because the plates are moving in different directions. Sherrods son has since completed graduate school in applied geosciences. Washington has dozens of active faults and fault zones. 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. At a downtown coffee shop, the mugs begin to chatter. Never use a lighter or match near damaged areas. The map is from a, This car was parked on sand during the 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. (1999 . It usually also means that there are earthquakes (even small ones) on the fault. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The faults length depends on whom you ask, Sherrod said. (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. Facades crumble off buildings along Oak Harbors Pioneer Way, and some of the oldest structures in Langley and Coupeville collapse in a roaring cloud of dust. The evidence shows each lake rests on different free-floating jigsaw pieces of planetary crust, separated by the southern Whidbey Island fault. The more you know what to expect, the better prepared you will be to help yourself, your family, and others around you. Photo courtesy of MOHAI (neg. Map by And while scientists keep digging for more information and more situational awareness of what we face, the other problem is human. The last earthquake on the Seattle fault (about AD 950) triggered a landslide and seiche in Lake Washington. Read more below to learn about how and where earthquakes occur, what to do before, during, and after an earthquake, and what scientists are doing to learn more about them. endobj PDF Modeling a Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake on the Southern Whidbey Island Earthquakes between 45 and 185 miles deep are called intermediate, and earthquakes over 185 miles deep are called deep. The Port of Coupeville will apply for a grant to fund two electric vehicle charging stations. This kind of grouping gives us information about how common earthquakes might be and how large an area may be affected. Puget Sound faults - Wikipedia 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 One of these cracks appeared along the pathway around Green Lake. Before modern record keeping, Native Americans lived in the Pacific Northwest for thousands of years. Its significantly larger than the Seattle Fault, and South Whidbey could hand us a magnitude 7.5 earthquake. Devils Mountain Fault -- Online Professional Paper - USGS But Forson says you also need to know what to do when the shaking happens. Snohomish, King and Island counties would be expected to see the. That could spell trouble not only for its namesake island but for south and north King County and further west. 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 San Andreas in California, for example, left gaping scars in the Earths crust, at the surface. However, we can learn which faults are active and which are inactive. He combed through state and federal data to understand the risks, and to help train first responders. In addition, the Survey performs seismic safety evaluations of schools. This movement happens because stress builds up as tectonic plates move. Scientists have also dated large underwater landslides and turbidites that travel from the continental edge far out into the ocean basin. Faulting produced warping at the site of greater than 2 m. Radiocarbon ages provide a maximum age for the folding event of 12,09011,670 cal yr BP. The Mercalli Intensity scale is another historical way to measure the intensity of an earthquake. But quiet period wont last, Strongest earthquake in 40 years rattle residents of Buffalo, NY, Is Istanbul next? Watch the video below to learn how you can be ready for the next earthquake. The northwest-trending southern Whidbey Island fault zone occurs along a significant terrane boundary between basement blocks underlain by Eocene marine basalts of the Coast Range province to the southwest and pre-Tertiary metamorphic rocks of the Cascades province to the northeast. The combination of all of these effects is what makes earthquakes such a powerful geologic hazard. Photo by G.K. Gilbert, from the Steinbrugge Collection of the UC Berkeley Earthquake Engineering Research Center. M 7.4 Scenario Earthquake - Southern Whidbey Island fault-southern Depending on the type of fault, the ground can move laterally, vertically, or a combination of both. The Geologic Information Portal has a Natural Hazards theme that shows active faults and earthquakes. Consider whether earthquake insurance is right for you. The Darrington-Devils Mountain fault zone is located in southern Skagit County and northern Snohomish County. Finding nothing of serious monetary value, the companies abandoned reams of information they had gathered through seismic surveys. These include the: Southern Whidbey Island Fault (SWIF) Seattle Fault Devils Mountain Fault Strawberry Point fault Utsalady Point fault <>>> Emergency Management Earthquake - Island County, Washington When a fault with vertical movement ruptures the ocean floor, it lifts up part of the ocean. In the early 2000s, USGS scientists including Brian Sherrod set out to further Johnsons work and better understand the slumbering fissure. Tsunamis and seiches are destructive waves which can be triggered by certain types of large earthquakes. The seismic mapping had cost millions of dollars far beyond what most geologists on a government budget could scrape together. 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.