November 18, 2009 - The moderate earthquakes off the Queen Charlotte Islands Tuesday have many people once again wondering when the "big one" will hit the West Coast.
New research shows that a major quake — expected anytime in the next 200 years — could be much more devastating than previously thought.
It has been assumed for decades that the point where colliding tectonic plates would release tremendous earthquake-generating energy was about 145 kilometres off the coast of B.C. and Washington state.
But U.S. researchers using a specialized GPS system to monitor plate movement have found that the release point will be much closer to the mainland, coming within about 80 kilometres of major cities. FULL STORY>>>
