Cascadia Subduction Zone

E15671

convergent plate boundary megathrust fault subduction zone

The Cascadia Subduction Zone is a major convergent plate boundary off the Pacific Northwest coast of North America, capable of generating powerful megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis.

Aliases (7)

Cascadia subduction zone ×12
Cascadia subduction zone region ×3
Cascadia forearc ×1
Cascadia megathrust ×1
Cascadia megathrust region ×1
Cascadia subduction system back-arc ×1
Juan de Fuca–Pacific plate boundary system ×1

Statements (54)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	convergent plate boundary → megathrust fault → subduction zone →
affectsRegion	British Columbia → Northern California → Oregon → Pacific Northwest → Washington State →
associatedWith	Cascadia earthquake hazard → Cascadia tsunami hazard → Ring of Fire →
averageRecurrenceInterval	approximately 500 years →
earthquakeType	megathrust earthquake →
extendsFrom	Northern Vancouver Island →
extendsTo	Cape Mendocino →
hazardType	coastal subsidence → liquefaction → strong ground shaking → tsunami →
knownFor	potential for large megathrust earthquakes → potential for large tsunamis →
lastKnownGreatEarthquakeDate	January 26, 1700 →
lastKnownGreatEarthquakeGenerated	trans-Pacific tsunami →
lastKnownGreatEarthquakeMagnitude	approximately 9.0 →
length	approximately 1000 kilometers →
locatedIn	Pacific Ocean →
locatedOffCoastOf	British Columbia → North America → Northern California → Oregon → Pacific Northwest → Washington →
maximumEstimatedMagnitude	9.0 →
paleoseismologyEvidenceFoundIn	coastal marshes → offshore turbidites →
plateMotionType	oblique convergence →
recurrenceIntervalEstimate	approximately 300 to 600 years →
riskTo	Coastal communities of British Columbia → Coastal communities of Northern California → Coastal communities of Oregon → Coastal communities of Washington → Portland, Oregon → Seattle → Vancouver, British Columbia → Victoria, British Columbia →
seismogenicZoneWidth	approximately 60 to 80 kilometers →
slipType	thrust faulting →
studiedBy	Geological Survey of Canada → United States Geological Survey →
tectonicPlateOverriding	North American Plate →
tectonicPlateSubducting	Explorer Plate → Gorda Plate → Juan de Fuca Plate →
tsunamiRecordedIn	Japan →

Referenced by (24)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
Blanco Fracture Zone ("Cascadia subduction zone") → Gorda Plate ("Cascadia megathrust") → North Coast Ranges ("Cascadia subduction zone region") →	associatedWith
Explorer Ridge ("Cascadia subduction zone") → Mendocino Fracture Zone →	near
Explorer Plate ("Cascadia subduction zone") → Juan de Fuca Plate →	subductionZoneName
Explorer Plate ("Cascadia forearc") →	adjacentTo
North American Plate ("Cascadia subduction zone") →	boundaryFeature
Queen Charlotte Fault →	connectedTo
Gorda Plate ("Cascadia subduction zone") →	formsPartOf
Gorda Ridge ("Cascadia subduction zone region") →	geologicalProvince
Mount Mazama ("Cascadia subduction zone") →	geologicalSetting
Pacific coast of North America ("Cascadia subduction zone") →	hasNotableFeature
North American plate boundary system ("Cascadia subduction zone") →	hasPart
eastern Pacific Ocean ("Cascadia subduction zone") →	hasSubductionZone
Blanco Fracture Zone ("Juan de Fuca–Pacific plate boundary system") →	isPartOf
Canada West Coast ("Cascadia subduction zone") →	locatedOnTectonicPlateBoundary
Gorda Ridge ("Cascadia megathrust region") →	nearbyHazardContext
Cascadia ("Cascadia subduction zone region") →	overlapsWith
Juan de Fuca Ridge ("Cascadia subduction system back-arc") →	region
Gorda Plate ("Cascadia subduction zone") →	subductsAt
Mount Meager massif ("Cascadia subduction zone") →	tectonicSetting
Crescent City, California →	tsunamiSourceRegion