Hidden Tintina Fault May Trigger Massive Earthquake, Scientists Warn
So, here’s something pretty alarming that’s just come to light — scientists are raising the red flag on a massive, long-overlooked fault line called the Tintina Fault , and it turns out it might be a sleeping giant that could wake up with catastrophic force.
This fault has actually been known to geologists for over a century, but it’s been considered inactive — or at least not particularly dangerous — because it hasn’t produced any large earthquakes in over 40 million years . Well, until now. New research out of the University of Victoria in British Columbia is shaking up that belief.
Using high-resolution topographic data collected by satellites, aircraft, and drones, scientists discovered clear signs that large earthquakes have actually occurred along a segment of the Tintina Fault much more recently than anyone thought. Specifically, they found geological landforms — shaped by glaciers — that had been displaced by hundreds, even thousands, of feet. One of these shifts appears to have happened just 135,000 years ago, which might sound ancient to us, but in geological terms, that’s practically yesterday.
Also Read:- EU and US Reach Fragile Tariff Deal as Uncertainty Lingers
- Alex de Minaur Pulls Off Stunning Comeback to Win Washington Open
The fault stretches more than 600 miles , from northeastern British Columbia all the way through the Yukon into Alaska. That means if it ruptures, it wouldn’t just shake up a small area — it could potentially impact communities from Alaska to Montana , disrupting roads, mines, even the Trans-Alaska Pipeline , and possibly putting over 125,000 people at risk in places like Fairbanks.
The worrying part is that the Tintina Fault is currently accumulating stress at a steady rate of up to 0.8 millimeters a year . According to the lead researcher, Theron Finley, there may be around six meters of built-up strain just waiting to be released. If that strain is suddenly unleashed, it could produce a quake larger than magnitude 7.5 — which is strong enough to cause major destruction.
And here's the kicker: this fault wasn’t even included in Canada's official seismic hazard models. That’s how under the radar it’s been. Experts are now calling for its immediate inclusion in national planning and for emergency preparedness efforts to ramp up in affected areas.
As Dr. Michael West, Alaska’s state seismologist, put it — the danger isn’t just that the fault is active. It’s that no one has been paying attention to it . So now that we know, it's time to start preparing, because the ground beneath us might not be as stable as we thought.
Read More:
0 Comments