SEATTLE — The Pacific Northwest is regularly shaking with seismic activity, with the threat of the "Big One" always being on the horizon.
So how are government officials and organizations preparing for and analyzing earthquakes so the region is prepared for that eventual major seismic event?
Check out our full complement of stories from the "When The Earth Shakes" series below.
The northwest is one of the most seismically active regions of the United States.
Right below our feet is the meeting place of multiple tectonic plates, slowly moving and pushing against each other. The edges of these masses move and break, causing the ground to shake or volcanoes to form.
As scientists in the northwest work to increase seismic monitoring in the region, they’re now shifting focus to areas beyond metro populations, adding more seismometers to volcanoes and planning underwater expansion as well. Scientists say the more stations there are, the better the preparedness and early warning for earthquakes.
The last time a tsunami struck the Pacific Northwest was in 1700. The region is due for another one, and there are some new efforts to make coastal communities more resilient to a devastating event we know is coming.
The 6.5 magnitude earthquake in Stanley, Idaho, was the biggest earthquake in almost 40 years. New data shows a newly discovered fault line caused it.
The Pacific Northwest continues to see spikes in seismic activity, from Mount St. Helens earlier this year to more recently, Mount Adams in southern Washington. Seismologists say while the increase in activity may seem alarming, it's just business as usual with these volcanoes.
City-wide, Seattle Emergency Hubs prepare for emergency situations. Neighbors plan a location where they'll meet up and be able to communicate; get educated on what could happen in case of different types of emergencies; and conduct drills to put what they've learned into practice. It's just one way community members are doing their part to prepare for threats like "the big one."
