Agencies map tectonic fault that touches southeast Alaska

KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) – Federal agencies have completed the first high-resolution mapping of a fast-moving underwater tectonic fault that extends from Vancouver Island, Canada, to southeast Alaska.

The Ketchikan Daily News reports researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey finished the comprehensive mapping of the 746-mile Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault system, aiming to help coastal communities prepare for earthquakes and tsunamis risks with the data.

Scientists gathered an in-depth look at the sea floor from April through July along the strike-slip fault line, which is a fault that moves side to side.

Peter Haeussler, a research geologist with the geological survey, says that among the uses for the data, it will be incorporated into updates for the seismic hazard map for the state.
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Information from: Ketchikan (Alaska) Daily News, http://www.ketchikandailynews.com

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