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Active Faulting in Western Canada: Definition and Review of Current Knowledge

Description: 

Despite several active crustal faults being identified within the North America plate in neighbouring Washington State and Alaska, there are relatively few mapped in western Canada. There are myriad reasons, including thick vegetation, recent glaciation, and low strain rate, that make it difficult to identify active faults, and there is a lack of clarity on how the term ‘active fault’ is best applied in these conditions. Even among the faults with recently-documented Holocene activity, few have been incorporated into the national seismic hazard model yet. To this end, we propose a definition for active faults in western Canada based on (1) evidence of Holocene or Quaternary displacement, (2) potential to host earthquakes with magnitude greater than or equal to five, (3) geomorphic expression consistent with faulting, and (4) orientation compatible with failure in the neotectonic stress field. We then apply this definition to previously-studied faults in the region to present, for the first time, a summary of active faults across western Canada. We consider the potential impact of these faults in terms of seismic hazard and risk modelling. This work will be of interest to researchers and practitioners in Canada and neighbouring regions, as well as those in analogous locations around the world.

Session: Compiling Active Faults for Improved Hazard Modeling from Cascadia to Alaska - I

Type: Oral

Date: 4/17/2025

Presentation Time: 05:00 PM (local time)

Presenting Author: Tiegan

Student Presenter: No

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