An international study led by researchers at The University of New Mexico has produced the first detailed images of the Queen Charlotte fault system off the coast of northern British Columbia, confirming that the region is capable of generating powerful megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis.
An international study led by researchers at The University of New Mexico has produced the first detailed images of the Queen Charlotte fault system off the coast of northern British Columbia, confirming that the region is capable of generating powerful megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis.
The findings, published July 18 in Science Advances, offer the most conclusive evidence to date that the Pacific Plate is partially colliding with and subducting beneath the North American Plate in the Haida Gwaii region—revealing a fault zone with the potential to produce catastrophic seismic events.
The study was co-led by UNM Earth and Planetary Sciences Professor Lindsay Worthington and UNM Ph.D. graduate Collin Brandl, in collaboration with researchers from U.S. and Canadian institutions. The team used a state-of-the-art 15-kilometer hydrophone streamer equipped with thousands of underwater microphones to map the deep structure of the ocean floor.
“We use tools that are similar to a medical X-ray or sonogram to image the Earth up to 10-20 miles below the surface. I’m always astounded by the detail of the images and our ability to interpret individual fault zones,” said Worthington.
Read More: University of New Mexico
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