Paleoearthquakes in the Puget Sound Region Recorded in Sediments from Lake Washington, U.S.A

1992/12/04 by Robert Karlin, Sally E. B. Abella · 3 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Geology and Paleoclimatology Research #earthquake and tectonic studies #Geological and Geochemical Analysis #Slumping #Geology #Turbidite #Terrigenous sediment #Sound (geography) #Deposition (geology) #Oceanography #Holocene #Structural basin #Paleontology #Geochemistry #Geomorphology

paper · doi:10.1126/science.258.5088.1617

openalex publication_date 1992/12/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23

Abstract

Holocene sediments in Lake Washington contain a series of turbidites that were episodically deposited throughout the lake. The magnetic signatures of these terrigenous layers are temporally and areally correlatable. Large earthquakes appear to have triggered slumping on the steep basin walls and landslides in the drainage area, resulting in turbidite deposition. One prominent turbidite appears to have been deposited about 1100 years ago as the result of a large earthquake. Downcore susceptibility patterns suggest that near-simultaneous slumping occurred in at least three separate locations, two of which now contain submerged forests. Several other large earthquakes may have occurred in the last 3000 years.

Citations

• A Tsunami About 1000 Years Ago in Puget Sound, Washington
• Abrupt Uplift Within the Past 1700 Years at Southern Puget Sound, Washington
• Tree Ring Correlation Between Prehistoric Landslides and Abrupt Tectonic Events in Seattle, Washington

Cited by

• Abrupt Uplift Within the Past 1700 Years at Southern Puget Sound, Washington
• Seismic reflection images beneath Puget Sound, western Washington State: The Puget Lowland thrust sheet hypothesis
• Seattle Fault [wikipedia]