For people living in California and the Pacific Northwest, nearly every day brings us public service announcements on our local television stations regarding earthquake preparedness--and a drive down any stretch of the 101 reveals signs every few miles showing tsunami evacuation routes.  In other words,  West Coasters are reminded regularly that they live in an active earthquake and volcano zone.  This page allows you to explore some of the major seismic and volcanic events of the last few thousand years--not only in the Western United States, but around the world--and helps separate fear-filled hype from science-based facts.  Here you can examine the causes for earthquakes and volcanoes, how tectonic movement changes our planet across time, and explore cutting edge technology that’s being used to predict when and where the next event might occur.  Also listed here are resources to help you prepare in the event of a geological or oceanic emergency.

Plate tectonics (from the Late Latin tectonicus, from the Greek: τεκτονικός "pertaining to building") is a scientific theory describing the large-scale motion of seven large plates and the movements of a larger number of smaller plates of the Earth's lithosphere, since tectonic processes began on Earth between 3 and 3.5 billion years ago. The model builds on the concept of continental drift, an idea developed during the first decades of the 20th century. The geoscientific community accepted plate-tectonic theory after seafloor spreading was validated in the late 1950s and early 1960s. © Wikipedia

San Andreas Fault

Neskowin Ghost Forest, Oregon

ALASKA  1964

CHILE  1960

SAN FRANCISCO  1906

VESUVIUS  1944

MOUNT ST. HELENS   1980

SIBERIA  250 Million BCE

INDIAN OCEAN 2004

JAPAN 2011

ALEXANDRIA 365 CE

The Pacific Northwest

As of today, there's no completely accurate way to predict exactly when an earthquake (and its possible tsunami) or volcano will occur.  But there’s a lot of cutting edge science taking place that makes it possible to make “educated” assumptions and guesses. More than ever, speaking in terms of “probabilities” is far more a reality than it was a decade ago. As time goes on, and more pioneering discoveries are made, accurate prediction may become more than a mere possibility.  Here are some resources that examine what’s currently happening in volcanology, seismology, and oceanography.
NEW SCIENTIST: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19926752-000-unknown-earth-can-we-predict-earthquakes-and-volcanic-eruptions/
FURURISM: https://futurism.com/satellites-will-soon-predict-earthquakes-and-volcanic-eruptions-from-space/
CARNEGIE INSTITUTE SCIENCE: https://carnegiescience.edu/news/how-can-we-predict-volcanoes-and-earthquakes
VOX: https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/9/21/16339522/8-things-to-know-about-earthquakes-alaska
SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/does-earths-molten-core-power-earthquake-cycle-180967054/
QUARTZ: https://qz.com/1188262/volcano-eruption-prediction-methods-scientists-say-crystals-can-tell-when-a-volcano-will-blow/
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/volcano-forecast-new-technique-could-better-predict-eruptions/
PACIFIC NORTHWEST SEISMIC NETWORK: https://pnsn.org/outreach/faq/earthquake-prediction

The Big One: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Tsunamis

Tectonic Plates

Earthquakes

Volcanoes

Tsunamis

The Pacific Northwest

Prediction