A Virtual Tour of the Mendocino Triple Junction in Northern California

[@allanegleston4931]

i vaguely remember this event.

[@richardlynch1094]

Very informative. Thank you!

[@NeffyCat]

It's nice to meet you, friend! This was an awesome video. I live in this area, as does my kitty Neffy, and I think it is very important for everyone to be aware of the very real cause of our local Earthquakes. Thank you very much for sharing.

[@46inchwoody]

We got a 6.4 there today.

[@johnnash5118]

The Mendocino Triple Junction (MTJ) is a work of art geologically, it’s atypical in that the NA Continent plays a cam motion tertiary role, and the South Gorda Plate, Pacific Plate and quasi Pacific Plate Complexes at the MTJ play the dominant roles. The Mendocino Fracture Zone (MFZ,) the primary structural component of the MTJ is acting as a shear zone, like a wood lathe, splitting the Franciscan Complex in half to the WNW into the Pacific Basin, and NW deep into SW Oregon (the Northwestern half has blue schist outcrops 190 miles North @the Bandon, OR. South Jetty, how much further is unknown, but probably to the Siletz Margin,) and directing the Yolla Bolly Terrane NW between the Klamath Terranes and the continental shelf with the Franciscan. The second aspect of the MTJ is the ESE motion of the South Gorda Plate subducting under the aforementioned SAF and Klamath Terrane Complexes, part of the Cordillera, not Continental NA. All of this tectonic interaction is why the MTJ is the most seismically active region South of Alaska. What is the motive energy for the conveyed Terranes ? They’re mingled together South-to-North like a line of barges on a river, and being pushed by a powerful tug. What is the motive structure acting as the river? That would be the Upper Mantle/MOHO. What is the motive structure acting as the tug? That would be the East Pacific Rise (EPR) out of the Gulf of California. It’s connected to the SAF Terranes and its heading is due WNW, straight for the Aleutian Trench.

[@sdlane]

Those were scary, for sure, but the shaking last Tuesday was was worse than 1992 and 1980. I had damage in every room in my house and my chimney is toast.

[@CVenza]

Great information! Thank you.

[@nowistime8070]

what a great video!

[@judithmayer2422]

Thanks for this super-useful movie!

[@elementgypsy]

Fascinating!

[@uvgraves]

Thank you for this great information! I live in Shelter Cove which is on the Pacific Plate. I often wonder what would happen to our little slip of land should the Big One hit. I suppose the only answer is "wait around and find out."

[@lotklear1379]

fabulous

[@ggsd4903]

No time like the present to hone up on my plate tectonics. Hoping y'all are safe over there.

[@susanblanc3942]

so interesting!

[@SweetJungThang]

Fascinating to this Midwestern flatlander. Calls to mind Oscar Wilde's quip: The suspense is terrible; I hope it will last.

[@melodiefrances3898]

I kind of feel like the potential danger of what could happen here needs to really be way more emphasized. (Actually anywhere that is near the Casadia fault, but this video wasn't about that exactly). When it does a full rip again, it will actually justify a screaming sensationlistic headline. I also really want to visit lol ...

[@briane173]

Some of the paleoseismic research by Chris Goldfinger at OSU is teasing out a possible link, at least occasionally, between earthquakes in this area of the San Andreas Fault and the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Which one influences the other is up for grabs, but at least in a few historical sequences Goldfinger has a record for along the San Andreas near the MTJ, the data suggests a possible link between the two, wherein an earthquake along one fault might soon after trigger an earthquake on the other. That suggests the potential for a double-whammy on either side of the MTJ, and probably needs to be taken into account when working out a preparedness strategy.

[@christiansmith-of7dt]

Its super depressing living in america

[@lawrencemorris3973]

𝔭𝔯𝔬𝔪𝔬𝔰𝔪 💖