Rotating Crustal Blocks Form a Simplified Picture of Pacific NW Plate Motion

Rotating Crustal Blocks Form a Simplified Picture of Pacific NW Plate Motion

May’s GSOC Friday night lecture from retired USGS research geologist Ray Wells gave the listeners a big picture of the tectonic motion of the Pacific NW and explained much about the distribution and function of shallow crustal earthquakes and their associated faults in the region. This picture had sharpened over Wells’ 40-year career at USGS, as our understanding of plate tectonics evolved and new techniques contributed to the store of information and provided corroboration for earlier findings. 

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