The Pacific Geoscience Centre of the Geological Survey of Canada monitors defomation of the crust using a series of GPS stations, like this one at Nanoose, north of Nanaimo. Similar networks exits in Washington and Oregon.
The 1700 Juan de Fuca Earthquake - Steven Earle - Malaspina University-College
The Pacific Geoscience Centre of the Geological Survey of Canada monitors defomation of the crust using a series of GPS stations, like this one at Nanoose, north of Nanaimo. Similar networks exits in Washington and Oregon.
The data from these
stations can be used to detect millimetre-scale movement of the
crust, relative to inland stations which are stable.
An example of this type of data is shown to the left for the station at Ucluelet on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Ucluelet is moving eastward with respect to the rest of the North American Plate, at a rate of close to 11 mm per year. In other words, at Ucluelet the plate is being deforned or squeezed because the North American Plate is locked against the descending Juan de Fuca Plate. Ucluelet is also being pushed down by almost 2 mm per year.
For more information on the deformation studies visit the Pacific Geoscience Centre website.