Results: It's Not Your Fault, Well, Maybe It Is

Regardless of where you live, do you currently believe that California is the only state at risk for a large magnitude earthquake?

The Cascadia Subduction Zone: Running 680 miles along the Pacific Northwest coastline, the Cascadia Fault directly threatens 3 major metropolitan areas (Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver). With Cascadia capable of producing a magnitude 9.0 or 10.0 earthquake, the Pacific Northwest may soon face shaking (16 times more powerful than San Francisco's devastating 1906 earthquake) lasting 4 minutes and delivering a mighty tsunami of unimaginable proportions. Were you aware of this fault system and risk for an earthquake?

The New Madrid Seismic Zone It's not just the West Coast that needs to watch out for tectonic obliteration. The New Madrid Seismic Zone spans southeastern Missouri, northeastern Arkansas, western Tennessee, western Kentucky, and southern Illinois. It's the most active earthquake zone east of the Rocky Mountains. Were you aware of this fault system?

The Ramapo Seismic Zone In 1884, Brooklyn was rattled by an earthquake originating near the Ramapo Fault System. Toppling chimneys in New York City and felt as far away as Maine and Virginia, the magnitude 5.2 earthquake was a sudden wake-up call for settlers in the region. A mid-magnitude earthquake in the right (or worst) place could cause devastating damage. One of the faults in the Ramapo system even crosses New York City around 125th Street. A magnitude 5.0 rupture lasting more than a minute or 2 could cause intense structural damage to numerous Manhattan skyscrapers, most of which are not designed to withstand such tectonic activity. Were you aware of this fault system?

The Hayward Fault This very unstable fault in California has been threatening the San Francisco Bay Area for generations. It's capable of producing quakes ranging from 7.0 to 8.0 in magnitude. The last major movement along the Hayward Fault occurred on October 21, 1868, virtually destroying downtown Hayward. In fact, it was considered the "great earthquake" until the San Andreas Fault tore San Francisco apart 38 years later. Running for nearly 74 miles through cities including Fremont, Hayward, Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond, the Hayward Fault has the potential to wreak more havoc than most California faults. Over 2.4 million people live within close proximity to the fault today, not to mention the key infrastructure developments (including a major public transit system and the Caldecott Tunnel) that run precariously through the fault. Were you aware of the Hayward fault system?

The Denali Fault System If we're talking sheer magnitude, the largest recorded earthquake on North American soil hit Alaska on November 3, 2002. Starting on the Susitna Glacier Thrust Fault, the rupture raced along the Denali Fault System and continued 220 kilometers until it reached the Totschunda Fault, rattling 70 more kilometers. The estimated magnitude of this earthquake ranged from 7.0 to 7.9 with a surface wave magnitude of close to 8.5. This almighty quake caused extensive damage to the transportation systems in central Alaska. Multiple landslides and rock avalanches occurred in the Alaska Range and Black Rapids Glacier. This event was literally felt across the nation, even causing waves in pools and lakes in Texas and Louisiana! Were you aware of this information?

Running along the base of the western edge of the Rocky Mountains, the 240-mile Wasatch Fault lies underneath Salt Lake City and the state's urban corridor, home to 1.6 million people. Though the Wasatch Fault has not delivered a major quake since the Mormon settlers arrived in 1847, geologists have found evidence that it is capable of unleashing jolts as big as magnitude 7.5. It is one of the world's longest "normal" faults, where the land on one side of the fault drops down relative to the other side during an earthquake. During prehistoric times, the fault slipped as much as 10 feet during a single quake. Were you aware of this Utah information?

If you live in one of these areas and are just now learning of these fault systems, will do something to get prepared as we Californians do?