New research from the University of Washington in Science Advances provided a detailed map of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, finding the megathrust fault to be divided into four segments and its future movement to be potentially insulated against the movements of other segments. UW researchers played a significant role in this multi-institutional effort, with co-authors Harold Tobin and Madeleine Lucas contributing to the study’s findings.
The research team collected data offshore with a team of researchers in a 41-day cruise that found divisions in the subduction zone through sound pulses. The researchers’ analysis found that the differing kinds of rocks and roughness of subterranean topography play a role in determining how the plates will interact in the future.
This research contributed to the findings published in Science Advances and has been analyzed by state and federal agencies, as well as academic institutions. Practical assessments that could affect building codes and other aspects of preparedness could be published as early as next year, say the researchers.