Vancouver Earthquake and Plate Tectonics

Apparently Vancouver is going to be hit by a “big one”. At school, before I went to university I studied Geography at school as well as Geology so I know a little bit about plate tectonics and how and why earthquakes and mass movement ocurr.

Juan de Fuca Subduction ZoneThe Juan de Fuca plate is being forced under the North American plate creating a “subduction zone”. This subduction has formed a lot of magnificent mountain areas in the Cascade Volcanic Belt (where volcanic mountains have formed that are not all within the Cascade Range). The movement of one plate beneath each other is never a smooth process and they tend to lock up until it reaches a point where there is so much pressure and stress that it violently moves. It is this mass movement that causes an earthquake.

I can see Mount Baker from my window but there are many other mountains that you may have heard about in and around Vancouver, BC such as:

  • Mount Silverthrone
  • Devastator Peak
  • Mount Fee
  • Black Tusk
  • Cinder Cone
  • Opal Cone
  • Mount Garibaldi
  • Watts Point

Baker incidentally still shows steam/fume activity from it’s crate but is considered dormant, but wait, didn’t they say that about Mount St. Helens which erupted famously in 1980?

I don’t think we’re going to die but if we were living on Vancouver Island I would be worried, as Vancouver Island is a direct formation resulting from plate tectonic activity. Stop worrying Alyssa! Good reads for this include Global Tectonics and Earth as an Evolving Planetary System. (I believe the latter was on my course reading list at school).

Keep up to date with global earthquake activity.

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11 Responses to Vancouver Earthquake and Plate Tectonics

  1. d says:

    I’m worried too, nobody I’ve talked too seem to be worried.

  2. carlo says:

    [quote comment="1671"]I’m worried too, nobody I’ve talked too seem to be worried.[/quote]
    What’s to worry about?

  3. melanie says:

    what’s to be worried about? umm A LOT i saw a show on discovery about “the big one” hmmmm let’s just say buildings breaking in half and a tsunami. It is no joke when they say it’s going to be big.

  4. carlo says:

    You’re a Vancouver resident? Have you inquired about the building construction, safety and whether or not the buildings here are protected since we are in an active zone of tectonic activity?

    When was the last big devastating earthquake in the world? Where was it and why was it so devastating?

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  7. Zack says:

    i found ur information really helpful..and thank u for sharing idea…i am appreciate for ur hard work..kk

  8. carlo says:

    [quote comment="4811"]i found ur information really helpful..and thank u for sharing idea…i am appreciate for ur hard work..kk[/quote]

    Hey Zack, I see you’re local (from Vancouver).

  9. Gayle says:

    The best protection you can have is to put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, All who call upon the Lord shall be saved and He is the only way to Heaven….ask Him into your heart and life today, ask Him to forgive you of your sins and then He will take care of you. He loves you so much!!!!

  10. Carlo says:

    [quote comment="16328"]The best protection you can have is to put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, All who call upon the Lord shall be saved and He is the only way to Heaven….ask Him into your heart and life today, ask Him to forgive you of your sins and then He will take care of you. He loves you so much!!!![/quote]

    What if you are Jewish? will Jesus help then since he was a Jew?

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