Tintina fault may trigger major quake

New research suggests the Tintina fault may be more active than previously believed and could produce a magnitude 7.5 quake.

Tintina Fault Reveals Hidden Activity and Major Earthquake Risk

Researchers from the University of Victoria and the University of Alberta examined fault scarps along the Tintina fault, a roughly 1,000 kilometer structure in western North America. The team concludes the fault has produced several large earthquakes in the recent geologic past, challenging the view that it has been dormant for millions of years. The evidence comes from fault scarps, raised steps in the landscape created when one side of a fault moves relative to the other. Dating these features shows meters of slip from past quakes and a major rupture that occurred more than 12,000 years ago. The pattern suggests the fault has not cooled off and may still be accumulating strain.

This finding changes how we think about regional seismic risk. It shows that even long quiet faults can awaken when new data and methods sharpen our view. For Yukon and Alaska, the result is a reminder that risk is dynamic and not fixed on a map. Cities and mines near fault traces need better planning and monitoring. Updated hazard maps and cross border coordination could reduce damage if a big tremor arrives.

Highlights

Communities deserve clear guidance and ongoing monitoring.