Tintina Fault Threatens North America with Major Earthquake Risk

DAWSON CITY, Yukon — Experts are warning that the Tintina Fault, located 12 miles from Dawson City, may be poised for a major quake that could devastate parts of the U.S. and Canada. Recent studies indicate the fault has been quietly building pressure and could result in a significant earthquake without warning.

The Alaska Earthquake Center‘s state seismologist, Dr. Michael West, stated, ‘This new study shows it has been quietly building toward a potentially very large earthquake.’ The Tintina Fault, one of the least studied fault systems in North America, runs under vital infrastructure, raising alarms regarding its potential effects in British Columbia, Alberta, and Montana.

One segment of the Tintina Fault spans approximately 81 miles and is capable of generating a magnitude 7.5 earthquake or greater. Such a seismic event could lead to landslides, destroy pipelines, and severely damage roads across both Canada and Alaska, putting over 125,000 people at risk.

Researchers underscore that the potential consequences could be catastrophic, especially in remote areas lacking adequate earthquake preparedness and emergency response systems. Dr. Theron Finley, a lead author of the study from the University of Victoria, emphasized, ‘The fault may be at a late stage of a seismic cycle,’ indicating it has accumulated around 20 inches of slip that could be released suddenly.

Discovered in 1912 by geologist J.B. Tyrrell, the Tintina Fault has remained relatively silent, largely overlooked in favor of more prominent faults like California’s San Andreas. The fault’s inactivity and reduced monitoring could have left many unprepared for a massive earthquake.

West remarked on the danger, stating, ‘The most dangerous thing is not just that the fault is active, it’s that no one’s been paying attention to it.’ A recent study published in Geophysical Research Letters found evidence of powerful past earthquakes, showing landforms have shifted significantly over time, which indicates that the fault is a mature, slow-moving system.

Despite these developments, the U.S. Geological Survey‘s current earthquake hazard map does not recognize the Tintina Fault as a major risk, which Dr. Finley believes is misleading. ‘The landscape tells a different story,’ he said.