Cascadia subduction zone

Scientists have captured a subduction zone off Vancouver Island in the process of tearing itself apart, suggesting these massive tectonic systems may die piece by piece rather than all at once. The finding offers new insight into how subduction zones end over geological time, with implications for understanding seismic hazards in the Pacific Northwest, where the Cascadia zone poses earthquake and tsunami risks.

New research points to the Earth's crust actively stretching and tearing beneath the Pacific Northwest, the region sitting atop the Cascadia subduction zone. The finding has drawn attention from science readers concerned about earthquake risk in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, and what deep tectonic activity could mean for future seismic hazards.