What Will Happen When Cascadia Subduction Zone Slips

Noryungi writes: The New Yorker has published a chilling account of what would happen in the case of a major earthquake (roughly magnitude 9.0) inevitably striking the Cascadia subduction. "Under pressure from Juan de Fuca, the stuck edge of North America is bulging upward and compressing eastward, at the rate of, respectively, three to four millimetres and thirty to forty millimetres a year. It can do so for quite some time, because, as continent stuff goes, it is young, made of rock that is still relatively elastic. (Rocks, like us, get stiffer as they age.) But it cannot do so indefinitely." Most of the west coast of the U.S. and Canada is at risk, from Vancouver all the way down to Los Angeles and beyond. Most of the states and cities within this region are woefully under-prepared for a large earthquake. Scientists peg the odds at 1-in-3 for a quake within the next 50 years, and 1-in-10 for a really powerful one.

Comments

Re:Lies

[paazin]

There actually was an AMA on this yesterday or the day before. The scientists involved stated that much of the article, though grounded in reality, was hyperbole:

https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/3da1mh/we_are_earthquake_experts_ask_us_anything_about

Planet Earth Failure Modes

[kenj123]

Every so often I like to look over this list just so see what kinds of things can go wrong with the planet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

This one has always gotten my attention, I have heard about from multiple sources.
10 deadliest volcanic eruptions --1815 eruption of Mount Tambora-- 92,000 dead -- Year Without a Summer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

It just boggles my mind that there is a real potential for global disaster like this. I believe there is only a 40-90 day world wide food surplus available. I remember in the 1970s there were some discussions on the talking head shows about it. I think it was after Vietnam and the talking heads were scraping the barrel for things to get people excited about. A few economists said it was too big of a capital expenditure on something with a speculative return. But the possibility of an event is not 0... gives me something to ponder when I don't have anything else to worry about.

Re:Lies

[gstoddart]

Yea, I know you people get off on bashing the creationist ideology, but it's not all ignorance and folly. There are actually some pretty intelligent folk who think about these questions and have come up with reasonable answers for most of them, plus they have some answers for questions you are not asking because you haven't spent the time to think about stuff much.

What you are describing is sophistry, and not science.

Just because people go to extraordinary lengths to justify their religion, doesn't make any of it true.

So step down off the high horse and try and engage, without bashing and name calling... You will likely get further with people if you don't offend them right off the bat.

No. By insisting we engage means we've given in to the position that these silly beliefs have any basis in science, and aren't just some hand waving crap.

Not happening.

If someone truly believes the Earth is 6000 years old, then I'd prefer to get offending them out of the way right off the bat. Because there is no reasoned and intelligent conversation which can ensue.

You're entitled to your own opinions, but you're sure as hell not entitled to your own facts.

Engaging in that level of stupid, because it implies reason, evidence, and logic are in effect.