USGS Seismic Hazards Investigations in the Puget Sound
- John Cornelison
- March 26, 2012
Table of Contents
An ‘ongoing’ effort (but apparently in abeyance since 2002?!) to create an accurate seismic model for the Puget Sound region and British Columbia is the USGS’ Seismic Hazards Investigations in the Puget Sound (SHIPS) project. Since March 1998 SHIPS has conducted a series of seismic studies to better describe earthquake hazards in the Puget Lowland and British Columbia.
SHIPS has provided a region wide seismic velocity model, mapped basin geometry, imaged the subsurface geometry of crustal faults including the Tacoma fault zone, and imaged the subducting Juan de Fuca plate beneath the Puget Lowland.
Their major findings are especially pertinent for Vashon residents as it looks at local seismic studies for the Seattle Uplift – which uncovered the Tacoma Fault and shows Vashon being sandwiched by the Seattle and Tacoma fault. Vashon’s certainly in the heart of it…
Thanks to Jill for alerting me to this fundamental research on earthquake potential around Vashon.
