An ancient fault line could trigger a major earthquake in Canada, according to a team of researchers from the University of Victoria and the University of Alberta.
In a paper published by Science Alert, the researchers warned that the Tintina Fault, stretching nearly 1,000 km across northern Canada, could be the source of a future seismic event.
Studies have shown that the fault, dormant for some 40 million years, has shifted twice in the past: once around 2.6 million years ago and again about 132,000 years ago. However, the scientists noted that no major earthquake has occurred along the fault for roughly 12,000 years.
“The Tintina Fault therefore represents a significant and previously unrecognised seismic hazard for the region,” the researchers wrote in the Geophysical Research Letters journal. “If 12,000 years or more have passed since the last major earthquake, the fault may be in an advanced stage of stress accumulation,” they added.
Although the area is not densely populated, the scientists are calling for further studies to better assess the risks.
