Between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM, local time, on January 26th 1700, a great earthquake shook the Pacific Northwest. This quake, with magnitude estimated at 9.0, rocked the region with strong shaking for several long minutes minutes while coastal Washington plummeted as much as 1.5 meters relative to coastal waters.

How is it possible to know that any event on the Cascadia Subduction ever occurred, let alone to place it within one hour of its occurrence 300 years ago? Let the evidence speak for itself and discover an ancient earthquake in the Pacific Northwest.

Evidence of the Great Quake of 1700

Land Levels
Geological evidence shows that Washington's coast cycles through changes in land levels that subduction zone quakes typically produce.

Tree Rings
Ancient trees along Washington's coast put an accurate date on a likely seismic event occurring in the Pacific Northwest.

Tsunami Traces
Uncharacteristic sand deposits in Washington's coastal soil give evidence of local tsunamis.

Historic Records
Japanese government records from 1700 describe a large tsunami likely originating from the Pacific Northwest.

Turbidite Record
Layers of sediment off Washington's coast show that widespread, simultaneous shaking of the region was very likely.

Native Tales
Native American stories from the Pacific Northwest describe an event strikingly similar to a large Cascadia subduction zone quake.

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