What If Quake Shakes Seattle Fault? Tsunami Within Minutes

The last time it had significant activity, say, geologists, was 1,100 years ago. But, given all the recent off-coast rumblings...

 New DNR Study shows what would happen if Seattle Fault 'slips'

In the last few years, a lot of attention has been paid to the Cascadia Subfault, a massive rift that runs from CA up past the WA coast, anywhere from 75-80 miles off the coast. It makes San Andreas look like a paper cut.

However, have you heard of the Seattle Fault? It's a 43-mile long rift that runs under Seattle and Puget Sound. Granted, geologists say that the last major activity they know of was about 1,100 years ago, but it was significant. DNR says in their report:

"The most recent earthquake was so great it thrust the beach at Restoration Point on Bainbridge Island upward by 23 feet while dropping land at Seattle’s West Point by 3 feet. Land level changes during the next earthquake may establish a new shoreline in many locations close to the Seattle Fault zone."

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DNR has prepared a video showing what would happen if a quake of 7.0 or higher on the Richter Scale would do (similar to the levels of those previously). The report says tsunami waves would hit Elliot Bay, Alki Point, and Bainbridge Island within 3 minutes, and the Port of Tacoma would see at least a six-foot wave.

The report was released on Thursday, July 7

The purpose of the study is to prepare the area for any such incidents that could potentially occur.  The DNR video is below.