Holocene Seismicity of the Cascadia Subduction Zone Based on Precise Dating of the Turbidite Event Record

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9803018Goldfinger A major concern of the active tectonics of Cascadia is that of the earthquake cycle. In general it is considered a quiet zone, with little active seismicity. However, geomorphic studies are now showing that earthquakes, probably of large magnitude, have occurred in the last 10,000 years. Their magnitude and distribution are yet to be explored. The project will analyze and date the sedimentary turbidities of the coast of Cascadia. If they can be shown to synchronous over a wide area, then it follows that they may have had a common trigger. The most likely tigger on a regional scale is a large earthquake. Thus this study, if successful, will contribute greatly to our understanding of the size and frequency of earthquakes in Cascadia, where the modern sesmicity is not very revealing. The nature and partition of strain along the entire convergent margin that will emerge from this study will aid in the understanding of deformation partitioning and seismic versus aseismic deformation.