But this should not be cause for alarm, Herb Dragert of the Geological Survey of Canada said. "The amount of stress transferred is miniscule," he said. "The only time this becomes important is as you start to approach critical stress along the fault." Since no one knows what critical stress for Cascadia is, a devastating earthquake can't be predicted. Geologic records indicate the last major quake along the fault was in 1700. Mega-quakes have recurred in as little as 200 years, or as long as 700 years, though, so it could still be centuries before the next one hits. "We should not start worrying or anguishing about these ETS events, but it's something we should take into consideration," Dragert said. "If in a couple of hundred years I'm still alive, though, I'm going to start holding my breath every time we get one of them." Related Links: |
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