logo
Ancient Canadian fault could produce major earthquakes in the future

Ancient Canadian fault could produce major earthquakes in the future

Yahoo6 days ago
The Tintina, a major geologic fault that extends 1,000 km northwestward across much of the Yukon Territory, was thought to have been inactive for at least 40 million years, but new research led by a team at the University of Victoria (UVic) finds evidence of 'numerous large earthquakes', suggesting additional earthquakes could occur in the future.
The team used high-resolution images from satellites, airplanes, and drones. They found a 130-km-long fault segment near Dawson City, suggesting seismic activity in the Quaternary Period, dating from 2.6 million years ago to today.
"Over the past couple of decades, there have been a few small earthquakes of magnitude 3 to 4 detected along the Tintina fault, but nothing to suggest it is capable of large ruptures," Theron Finley, recent UVic PhD graduate and lead author of the recent article, says in a statement.
"The expanding availability of high-resolution data prompted us to re-examine the fault, looking for evidence of prehistoric earthquakes in the landscape."
Canada's current understanding of earthquake frequency and risk is limited to the last couple of hundred years, the authors say, and it is comprised of data derived from Indigenous records, historical archives, and modern technology.
'However, for many active faults, thousands of years can elapse between large ruptures,' the authors say in a statement.
Large or shallow quakes can rupture Earth's surface, creating a linear feature in the land known as a fault scrap. This feature, which can be hundreds of kilometres long, can remain for tens of thousands of years and provide insight into seismic activity in the area. They're notoriously difficult to detect, especially in Canada's dense forests.
The high-resolution topographic data used in the study is one of the best ways to detect fault scraps.
It revealed glacial landforms that formed about 2.6 million years ago were laterally offset across a fault scrap by 1000 metres. Some that are 132,000 years old are offset by 75 metres.
'These findings confirm that the fault has slipped in multiple earthquakes throughout the Quaternary period, likely slipping several meters in each event. What's more, landforms known to be 12,000 years old are not offset by the fault, indicating no large ruptures have occurred since that time. The fault continues to accumulate strain at an average rate of 0.2 to 0.8 millimetres per year, and therefore poses a future earthquake threat,' the authors write in a statement.
Finley says future earthquakes on the Tintina fault could be major, exceeding a mangitude 7.5, potentially causing severe shaking in Dawson City, a community with a population of about 2,350 people.
'Compounding the hazard from seismic shaking, the region is prone to landslides, which could be seismically triggered. The Moosehide landslide immediately north of Dawson City and the newly discovered Sunnydale landslide directly across the Yukon River both show ongoing signs of instability,' the authors write.
The research will be shared with local authorities, governments, and infrastructure planners to help mitigate risk.
Earthquake frequency in Canada
Small earthquakes are common in Canada, with the Geological Survey of Canada recording and locating an average of 4,000 earthquakes annually, or 11 per day, nationwide.
Header image: Approximate location of the Tintina fault. Cheryl Santa Maria for The Weather Network.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Scientists make alarming discovery after attaching GoPro cameras to polar bears in the Arctic — here's what's happening
Scientists make alarming discovery after attaching GoPro cameras to polar bears in the Arctic — here's what's happening

Yahoo

time5 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Scientists make alarming discovery after attaching GoPro cameras to polar bears in the Arctic — here's what's happening

Scientists make alarming discovery after attaching GoPro cameras to polar bears in the Arctic — here's what's happening The large amounts of melting sea ice due to rising global temperatures are impacting polar bears' ability to hunt for seals, forcing them to adapt to new ways of finding food. However, these alternative food options are much less nutritious and scarce, resulting in cases of alarming weight loss, Glass Almanac reported. What's happening? A group of Canadian scientists attached GoPro cameras to GPS collars on 20 polar bears in the Hudson Bay area in northeastern Canada. The scientists studied the footage and observed how polar bears are adapting to rapidly melting sea ice. Over three years, the scientists observed how polar bears are collectively losing an alarming amount of weight. Of the 20 bears studied, 19 lost an average of 46 pounds over three weeks, according to Glass Almanac. The loss of sea ice directly affects the bears' ability to hunt for seals, an important food source that provides the bears with high-fat food for energy and warmth, allowing the bears to weather the cold, hunt for more food, and survive. The footage shows the polar bears increasingly turning to food on land as hunting for seals becomes more difficult. On average, polar bears "now spend up to three weeks more on land each year compared to the early 1980s, when the ice was more stable and reliable for hunting," per the Glass Almanac. However, food on land — bird carcasses, berries, and other marine animals — does not provide the bears with enough nutrition to continue hunting and survive, leading to alarming rates of weight loss. Why is melting sea ice concerning? Rising global temperatures are melting sea ice rapidly, which contributes to rising sea levels. This can endanger coastal cities, putting them at risk of flooding or storm surges, and threatening the destruction of coastal infrastructure. Increased global temperatures are also causing more water to evaporate, making extreme weather conditions, like heavy rains, winds, and storms, more frequent and intense. New Mexico, a traditionally dry climate, has been experiencing heavy rainfall and flooding — as many states have recently. Do you worry about air pollution in your town? All the time Often Only sometimes Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. What's being done about rising sea levels? Slowing the rate of global temperature increase can help keep sea levels at a safer level, mitigating the incidence and risk of extreme weather events. It also prevents sea ice from disappearing, allowing polar bears to continue hunting for food as they've done for generations. On an individual level, you can effect change by educating yourself, family, and friends about critical climate issues and voting for climate-conscious leaders that put the health of the community and the planet at the forefront of their legislative efforts. In a similar vein, find local organizations doing good and important work, and volunteer your time, money, or effort to support your community and the larger planet's climate resiliency. Each effort toward a healthier, more sustainable planet helps preserve the health and natural beauty of the world, ensuring future generations may get to live and experience the planet as we once did. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword

Experts issue warning over dangerous insects spreading rapidly across US: 'They're gonna eat everything they can'
Experts issue warning over dangerous insects spreading rapidly across US: 'They're gonna eat everything they can'

Yahoo

time5 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Experts issue warning over dangerous insects spreading rapidly across US: 'They're gonna eat everything they can'

Experts issue warning over dangerous insects spreading rapidly across US: 'They're gonna eat everything they can' Warm weather is bringing some hungry beetles out of hiding. What's happening? Invasive Japanese beetles have an enormous appetite, and they're out of control in Kansas. The small, shimmering scarab beetles are native to Japan and considered highly invasive in the United States and Europe. Their eggs are laid in the soil, and larvae eat roots underground until temperatures rise. Once they emerge, the beetles voraciously consume leaves. While some invasive species fixate on one plant, this hungry beetle doesn't discriminate. They feed on "more than 300 different types of plants, such as Virginia creeper, linden, crabapple, roses, American elm, and willow, along with crops like corn and soybeans," according to KSNT. Why are the beetles concerning? Despite their small size, these beetles have a devastating impact on agriculture. Roots are destroyed by their larvae, and leaves and fruit are eaten by the mature beetles — the entire crop is lost. "When an insect is out for three months, they're gonna eat everything they can," Kansas State University professor Raymond Cloyd told KSNT. It's not just Kansas's crops at risk. Other states lose millions or billions in agricultural income. Invasive species are one of the main drivers of extinction, along with habitat loss. Invasive species outcompete native ones for resources, alter habitats, and even introduce new diseases. What's being done to stop the beetles? These beetles are extremely difficult to get rid of. Many traditional pheromone traps attract beetles, but they aren't as successful in capturing or killing them. A college student at the University of Minnesota developed their own Japanese beetle trap, and it looks promising. Without traps, residents use insecticides on their plants and soil to kill beetles and their grubs. For those who are hesitant to use pesticides on their plants, the beetles can be picked off by hand and dumped in warm, soapy water to kill them. Conservationists are constantly developing new ways to combat invasive species, from releasing wasps to fight fruit flies to eating invasive crawfish. Do you think your lawn has enough greenery in it? Definitely I'd like a little more I want a lot more Not at all Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword

Scientists create ultra-repellent non-stick coating for safer cooking at home
Scientists create ultra-repellent non-stick coating for safer cooking at home

Yahoo

time7 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Scientists create ultra-repellent non-stick coating for safer cooking at home

Teflon and other PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have long been prized for making cookware, packaging, and fabrics resistant to water and grease. But these 'forever chemicals' don't break down in nature and tend to accumulate in the human body, posing serious health and environmental risks. Now, researchers at the University of Toronto have created a promising alternative that delivers high performance with much lower risk. Their new coating repels water and oil as effectively as standard non-stick materials, but contains only trace amounts of the least harmful PFAS variant. Silicone base with PFAS twist The team used polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), commonly known as silicone, as the base for their new material. 'PDMS is often sold under the name silicone, and depending on how it's formulated, it can be very biocompatible — in fact it's often used in devices that are meant to be implanted into the body,' said Professor Kevin Golovin, who leads the Durable Repellent Engineered Advanced Materials (DREAM) Lab. However, PDMS on its own falls short of matching PFAS when it comes to repelling oil and grease. The breakthrough came when PhD student Samuel Au developed a method to enhance the material's performance through what the team calls nanoscale fletching. Nanoscale fletching for repellency 'Unlike typical silicone, we bond short chains of PDMS to a base material — you can think of them like bristles on a brush,' Au explained. To improve their oil-repelling power, the team added the shortest possible PFAS molecule, consisting of a single carbon atom bonded to three fluorine atoms, to the tips of those bristles. 'If you were able to shrink down to the nanometre scale, it would look a bit like the feathers that you see around the back end of an arrow, where it notches to the bow. That's called fletching, so this is nanoscale fletching.' When the researchers tested the coated fabric with oil droplets, the material achieved a grade of 6 on a standard repellency scale used by the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. That's on par with many commercial PFAS-based coatings. Low risk, commercial potential 'While we did use a PFAS molecule in this process, it is the shortest possible one and therefore does not bioaccumulate,' said Golovin. 'What we've seen in the literature, and even in the regulations, is that it's the longest-chain PFAS that are getting banned first, with the shorter ones considered much less harmful.' 'Our hybrid material provides the same performance as what had been achieved with long-chain PFAS, but with greatly reduced risk.' The team hopes to collaborate with manufacturers to scale up the process and bring the product to market. Meanwhile, research continues. 'The holy grail of this field would be a substance that outperforms Teflon, but with no PFAS at all,' Golovin said. 'We're not quite there yet, but this is an important step in the right direction.' The study is published in the journal Nature Communications. Solve the daily Crossword

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store