RAPID: Collaborative Research: A Short, Open-Access 2D MCS Acquisition Program off Washington State

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

The great Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of 2011 has reminded us of the hazards to life and property that attend such events, and of the need for a focused scientific effort to understand both their causes and effects. Cascadia, which extends from northern California to southern British Columbia, will be the site of a future great earthquake that will affect a number of large metropolitan centers, including Seattle and Portland. The Cascadia Initiative is an effort to gain a better understanding of seismicity in the region that includes the deployment of an array of instruments both onshore and offshore. Several ancillary studies are also planned or under way; one such study is a sophisticated 3D (three dimensional) seismic survey to be carried out off the coast of Washington. The suite of 2D seismic profiles that will be acquired by this project will provide essential data for planning and carrying out the 3D survey. The chief broader impact of this study is the very high societal relevance of gaining an improved understanding of the seismic risk in this region.