A long-overlooked geologic fault in Canada's remote north may be capable of producing a massive earthquake, according to new research.
The Tintina Fault, stretching about 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) from British Columbia to Alaska, was once thought to be inactive for at least 40 million years. Now scientists say it has a history of large ruptures within the last 2.6 million years and could do so again.
The study, led by researchers at the University of Victoria (UVic) identified an 81-mile (130-km) section of the fault near Dawson City where multiple past quakes have left their mark on the landscape. The team used high-resolution topographic data from satellites, aircraft and drones to detect fault scarps, narrow ridges formed when the ground shifts during an earthquake, that were previously hidden under dense forest and glacial deposits.
