Researchers Warn Tintina Fault Nears Major Earthquake Threat in Canada, Alaska

Recent scientific studies have revealed that the Tintina Fault, a geological feature previously considered dormant for about 40 million years, is showing signs of significant seismic activity and could potentially trigger a major earthquake exceeding magnitude 7.5. Stretching roughly 600 to 620 miles from northeastern British Columbia through Yukon and into Alaska, this fault has accumulated strain over the past 12,000 years, indicating it may be at a late stage of its seismic cycle. Researchers used advanced technologies such as high-resolution satellite imagery, lidar scans, and drone data to identify fault scarps and horizontal rock displacements along an 80 to 130-mile segment near Dawson City, Canada, which could experience severe shaking, landslides, and damage to infrastructure. The potential earthquake poses risks not only to Canadian communities in Yukon and British Columbia but could also affect parts of Alaska and as far south as Montana in the United States. Scientists emphasize the importance of continued monitoring and research to improve earthquake preparedness and mitigate damage from a possible future seismic event along this underrecognized fault line. These findings challenge earlier assumptions about the fault's inactivity and highlight a significant seismic hazard in northwestern North America.