Beneath the dense forest coverage of Canada’s Vancouver Island lies a newly discovered geological threat—a 45-mile fault line named the XEOLXELEK-Elk Lake fault (XELF). Geologists, mineralogists, and Earth and ocean scientists, spurred by evidence of an ancient earthquake on the Saanich Peninsula between 4,700 and 2,300 years ago, now highlight the tsunami risk posed by this recently identified fault.
Research conducted by an international team of scientists from France, the US, and Canada reveals that in the northern Cascadia forearc on the west coast of North America, there is a approximately 2.3-meter-high scarp across a roughly 14,000-year-old land surface located 10 km (6.2 miles) north of downtown Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. This finding emerged from high-resolution topography and geological mapping, providing insight into the seismic activity in the region.
The discovery of the fault line was initially challenging due to the dense forest cover, but the research team employed various methodologies such as shallow geophysical surveys, historical image analysis, and remote sensing. These techniques proved fruitful in identifying minerals in the rocks that indicated changes in the magnetic field over time. This is a clear sign of rock formations being pulled apart or broken, strongly implying the presence of a fault line.
The XELF fault line poses a potential tsunami risk, and understanding its existence is crucial for assessing and mitigating potential hazards to the surrounding areas. The geological threat adds to the complexity of understanding seismic activity in the region and underscores the importance of ongoing research and monitoring to enhance preparedness and resilience against potential natural disasters.
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