Latest news with #faultline
The Sun
6 days ago
- Science
- The Sun
Fears of massive earthquake as lost fault line stretching 621 MILES ‘awakens' after lying dormant for 40 million years
A MASSIVE earthquake could strike due to the awakening of a lost fault line that has lied dormant for 40 million years. A new study has revealed that a major quake could be imminent as researchers believe the 621 mile long fault line is no longer asleep. 3 3 The Tintina fault stretches 1,000 kilometres across northern Canada, crossing the Yukon and ending in Alaska. Researches from the University of Victoria and the University of Alberta has spotted signs of two relatively recent groups of earthquakes that significantly shifted the ground - one 2.6 million years ago and another 132,000 years ago. However, within the last 12,000 years, the team found no evidence of notable earthquakes. This quiet period could be a warning, meaning a major quake could be on the horizon, Science Alert reports. University of Victoria geologist Theron Finley, said: "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. "The expanding availability of high-resolution data prompted us to re-examine the fault, looking for evidence of prehistoric earthquakes in the landscape." The team carried out a fresh look at the fault by using a combination of the latest high-resolution satellite imagery and Light Detection and Ranging technology. Their research helped to reveal narrow surface ruptures, which suggest past quakes, but nothing in the recent geological past. Based on these calculations, the fault should have slipped around six meters, but it hasn't. This could mean, once that pressure is released, an earthquake with a magnitude of more than 7.5 could be triggered. The research paper reads: "The Tintina fault therefore represents an important, previously unrecognised, seismic hazard to the region. "If 12,00 years or more have elapsed since the last major earthquake, the fault may be at an advanced stage of strain accumulation." While this area isn't particularly populated, it still homes 1,600 people in the nearby Dawson City. The quake also poses a threat to infrastructure and ecosystems. The researchers added: "Further paleoseismic investigations are required to determine the recurrence intervals between past earthquakes, and whether slip rates have changed through time due to shifts in tectonic regime, or glacial isostatic adjustment." What causes earthquakes? Here's everything you need to know... An earthquake is a shockwave caused by rocks being under extreme forces They are typically triggered by the movement of Earth's crust Earth's tectonic plates, the massive shelves of crust that carry the continents and seafloor, meet at points called fault lines When these plates rub over or against one another, huge amounts of pressure are generated This creates shockwaves that send violent vibrations through Earth The shock can split the planet's crust and create devestating tsunamis 3
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Fault line on Canadian border thought dormant for years could cause major earthquake, new study shows
A fault line on the Canadian border, thought to be dormant for tens of millions of years, could cause a major earthquake, a new study has revealed. The Tintina fault stretches about 600 miles from northeastern British Columbia into Alaska. It was previously thought to have last been active around 40 million years ago. But a study published in Geophysical Research Letters earlier this month found signs of more recent activity. New topographic data collected from satellites, airplanes and drones showed about an 80-mile-long segment of the fault where 2.6 million-year-old and 132,000-year-old geological formations are laterally shifted across the fault. 'We further show that the fault has not ruptured in a major earthquake for at least 12 thousand years, and could generate an earthquake of at least magnitude 7.5 in the future,' the study read. 'The Tintina fault therefore represents an important, previously unrecognized, seismic hazard to the region.' An earthquake with a 7 to 7.9 magnitude is considered major and can create serious damage, according to Michigan Tech. These types of earthquakes are fairly rare, with only 10 to 15 estimated to occur each year. Michigan Tech warns earthquakes with a magnitude of 8 or greater, which typically occur only once every year or two, can destroy communities near the epicenter. 'Based on the data, we think that the fault may be at a relatively late stage of a seismic cycle, having accrued a slip deficit, or build-up of strain, of six meters in the last 12,000 years,' Theron Finley, a recent University of Victoria phD graduate and lead author of the new study, explained in SciTechDaily. 'If this were to be released, it would cause a significant earthquake.' The Daily Mail reported, citing seismologists, there are fears the fault line could send tremors into British Columbia, Alberta and Montana. Dr. Michael West, state seismologist at the Alaska Earthquake Center, told the Mail, 'It is one of the least studied fault systems in North America, and that needs to change.'
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Fault line on Canadian border thought dormant for years could cause major earthquake, new study shows
A fault line on the Canadian border, thought to be dormant for tens of millions of years, could cause a major earthquake, a new study has revealed. The Tintina fault stretches about 600 miles from northeastern British Columbia into Alaska. It was previously thought to have last been active around 40 million years ago. But a study published in Geophysical Research Letters earlier this month found signs of more recent activity. New topographic data collected from satellites, airplanes and drones showed about an 80-mile-long segment of the fault where 2.6 million-year-old and 132,000-year-old geological formations are laterally shifted across the fault. 'We further show that the fault has not ruptured in a major earthquake for at least 12 thousand years, and could generate an earthquake of at least magnitude 7.5 in the future,' the study read. 'The Tintina fault therefore represents an important, previously unrecognized, seismic hazard to the region.' An earthquake with a 7 to 7.9 magnitude is considered major and can create serious damage, according to Michigan Tech. These types of earthquakes are fairly rare, with only 10 to 15 estimated to occur each year. Michigan Tech warns earthquakes with a magnitude of 8 or greater, which typically occur only once every year or two, can destroy communities near the epicenter. 'Based on the data, we think that the fault may be at a relatively late stage of a seismic cycle, having accrued a slip deficit, or build-up of strain, of six meters in the last 12,000 years,' Theron Finley, a recent University of Victoria phD graduate and lead author of the new study, explained in SciTechDaily. 'If this were to be released, it would cause a significant earthquake.' The Daily Mail reported, citing seismologists, there are fears the fault line could send tremors into British Columbia, Alberta and Montana. Dr. Michael West, state seismologist at the Alaska Earthquake Center, told the Mail, 'It is one of the least studied fault systems in North America, and that needs to change.'
The Independent
28-07-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Fault line on Canadian border thought dormant for years could cause major earthquake, new study shows
A fault line on the Canadian border, thought to be dormant for tens of millions of years, could cause a major earthquake, a new study has revealed. The Tintina fault stretches about 600 miles from northeastern British Columbia into Alaska. It was previously thought to have last been active around 40 million years ago. But a study published in Geophysical Research Letters earlier this month found signs of more recent activity. New topographic data collected from satellites, airplanes and drones showed about an 80-mile-long segment of the fault where 2.6 million-year-old and 132,000-year-old geological formations are laterally shifted across the fault. 'We further show that the fault has not ruptured in a major earthquake for at least 12 thousand years, and could generate an earthquake of at least magnitude 7.5 in the future,' the study read. 'The Tintina fault therefore represents an important, previously unrecognized, seismic hazard to the region.' An earthquake with a 7 to 7.9 magnitude is considered major and can create serious damage, according to Michigan Tech. These types of earthquakes are fairly rare, with only 10 to 15 estimated to occur each year. Michigan Tech warns earthquakes with a magnitude of 8 or greater, which typically occur only once every year or two, can destroy communities near the epicenter. 'Based on the data, we think that the fault may be at a relatively late stage of a seismic cycle, having accrued a slip deficit, or build-up of strain, of six meters in the last 12,000 years,' Theron Finley, a recent University of Victoria phD graduate and lead author of the new study, explained in SciTechDaily. 'If this were to be released, it would cause a significant earthquake.' Dr. Michael West, state seismologist at the Alaska Earthquake Center, told the Mail, 'It is one of the least studied fault systems in North America, and that needs to change.'
Daily Mail
25-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Experts warn hidden earthquake threat beneath North America could strike at any moment
A previously quiet fault line beneath North America is now feared to be a ticking time bomb, and experts warn it could unleash a devastating earthquake with no warning, shaking parts of the US. Canadian scientists have discovered that the Tintina Fault, located just 12 miles from Dawson City in the Yukon, has been silently building up underground pressure and may be on the verge of erupting in a massive quake. The fault runs beneath highways, rivers, and critical infrastructure, and stretches into interior Alaska, raising fears it could send tremors into British Columbia, Alberta, and Montana, according to seismologists. Dr Michael West, state seismologist at Alaska Earthquake Center, told the Daily Mail: 'This new study shows it has been quietly building toward a potentially very large earthquake.' 'It is one of the least studied fault systems in North America, and that needs to change,' he added. One section alone is approximately 81 miles long and could generate a magnitude 7.5 earthquake or greater, strong enough to shatter roads, destroy pipelines, and trigger landslides across the both Canada and the US. Researchers warned the consequences could be devastating if the fault breaks, especially since the Tintina Fault has been largely overlooked compared to more famous faults like the San Andreas, that extended over 750 miles through the California. They said the fault could break along more than 109 miles causing strong earthquakes in northern US communities, including Alaska's Fairbanks North Star Borough, potentially impacting over 125,000 people. The potential earthquake could significantly affect critical infrastructure like the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, particularly for those living in remote areas with limited earthquake preparedness or emergency response capabilities. Dr Theron Finley, a recent PhD graduate from University of Victoria and lead author of the study, said: 'The fault may be at a late stage of a seismic cycle.' 'It is quietly built up around 20 inches of slip that could be released in a single catastrophic event.' This fault has been hiding in plain sight since it was discovered in 1912 by geologist J B Tyrrell, who documented its existence in the Yukon Territory, based on geological surveys. It stayed suspiciously silent while others rumble, leaving it overlooked by quake monitors and hazard maps. But scientists now say it is a mature, slow-moving fault, the kind that stays quiet for thousands of years before suddenly unleashing a powerful quake. 'The most dangerous thing is not just that the fault is active,' said West. 'It is that no one's been paying attention to it,' he added. The study published in Geophysical Research Letters found that parts of ancient glacial landforms have shifted sideways by nearly, 3,200 feet, providing clear evidence of powerful past earthquakes. (a) A map shows the fault slicing through super old (2.6 million years) Flat Creek Beds (b, c) Models say the fault pushed the Flat Creek edge 4101 feet right and Gravel Lake hills (d) A 3D model shows bumpy, stepped-up land along the fault. (e) A drone pic looking northwest shows the fault path hidden by thick forest. A small photo from a dig spot (blue star) shows round gravel and red-brown dirt from the old 'Wounded Moose' soil at a bump's top. Researchers used satellite and drone mapping tools, which uncovered scars in the landscape that show this fault has ripped open the Earth's surface multiple times, with the last major rupture more than 12,000 years ago. Importantly, geologic evidence shows the land has not shifted in a long time, a sign that the fault has stayed locked and is steadily building pressure. That quiet period may actually be the problem. 'We are not good at thinking about things that happen every 12,000 years,' West said. 'But over that time, it builds up enough motion to create a 7.5 magnitude of quake.' Seismologists are now concerned as the US Geological Survey's (USGS) recent 2024 Alaska model, a modern earthquake hazard map, do not treat the Tintina Fault as a major risk. 'It is not even recognized as a distinct earthquake source in official models, but the landscape tells a different story,' said Finley.
