CORVALLIS, Ore. - A recent study suggests the Cascadia subduction zone and the San Andreas fault may be synchronized, with seismic activity on one potentially triggering the other.
According to Oregon State University, this discovery could have significant implications for hazard planning on the West Coast. Chris Goldfinger, a marine geologist at Oregon State University and lead author of the study, explained that earthquakes on these faults could occur just minutes to hours apart, as seen in historical data.
"We could expect that an earthquake on one of the faults alone would draw down the resources of the whole country to respond to it," Goldfinger said. "And if they both went off together, then you’ve got potentially San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver all in an emergency s