turbidites (seismoturbidites) in the northern margin offshore of Washington and 41 seismoturbidites in the southern margin offshore of southern Oregon. Goldfinger et al. (2012) discuss the alternative interpretations for their data and find that there are no other explanations that meet the criteria that they use (regional correlations, test, etc.). “confluence” Atwater et al. (2005) consider other sources for the 1700 A.D. tsunami in Japan. Based upon the timing of past earthquakes, a subduction zone earthquake in Alaska is a candidate. However, the Good Friday earthquake of 1964 generated a tsunami that inundated Japan that was modest in size compared to the 1700 A.D. tsunami. Likewise, earthquakes in Kamchatka (1952) and Chile (1960) also produced tsunamis in Japan that were dissimilar from the 1700 A.D. tsunami. These evidences support the interpretation that the orphan tsunami of 1700 A.D. was generated by an earthquake along the CSZ. Conclusion: Sediment coring along the Pacific Northwest, on land and at sea, allowed researchers (Atwater, 1987; Atwater and Hemphill-Haley, 1997; Atwater et al., 2005; Goldfinger et al., 2012) to find evidence of past earthquakes preserved in sediment stratigraphy. These geologists used radiocarbon age control to conclude that, for the past 10,000 years, the CSZ has earthquakes every ~240 years in the south (i.e. northern California and southern Oregon) and ~540 years in the north (i.e. Washington; Atwater and Hemphill-Haley, 1997; Nelson et al., 2006; Goldfinger et al., 2012). Historians and tsunami modelers used records of orphan tsunamis in Japan, records of past subduction zone earthquakes around the Pacific Ocean, and tsunami models to conclude that the most recent CSZ earthquake was on January 26, 1700 A.D. References:
turbidites (seismoturbidites) in the northern margin offshore of Washington and 41 seismoturbidites in the southern margin offshore of southern Oregon. Goldfinger et al. (2012) discuss the alternative interpretations for their data and find that there are no other explanations that meet the criteria that they use (regional correlations, “confluence” test, etc.). Atwater et al. (2005) consider other sources for the 1700 A.D. tsunami in Japan. Based upon the timing of past earthquakes, a subduction zone earthquake in Alaska is a candidate. However, the Good Friday earthquake of 1964 generated a tsunami that inundated Japan that was modest in size compared to the 1700 A.D. tsunami. Likewise, earthquakes in Kamchatka (1952) and Chile (1960) also produced tsunamis in Japan that were dissimilar from the 1700 A.D. tsunami. These evidences support the interpretation that the orphan tsunami of 1700 A.D. was generated by an earthquake along the CSZ. Conclusion: Sediment coring along the Pacific Northwest, on land and at sea, allowed researchers (Atwater, 1987; Atwater and Hemphill-Haley, 1997; Atwater et al., 2005; Goldfinger et al., 2012) to find evidence of past earthquakes preserved in sediment stratigraphy. These geologists used radiocarbon age control to conclude that, for the past 10,000 years, the CSZ has earthquakes every ~240 years in the south (i.e. northern California and southern Oregon) and ~540 years in the north (i.e. Washington; Atwater and Hemphill-Haley, 1997; Nelson et al., 2006; Goldfinger et al., 2012). Historians and tsunami modelers used records of orphan tsunamis in Japan, records of past subduction zone earthquakes around the Pacific Ocean, and tsunami models to conclude that the most recent CSZ earthquake was on January 26, 1700 A.D. References:
HSU_research_paper_example.docx