Chatham Strait fault

The Chatham Strait fault is the second largest right lateral strike-slip fault in southeastern Alaska. Starting near Haines, the fault follows Lynn Canal south into Chatham strait and is thought to be truncated by the Fairweather-Queen Charlotte fault system west of Iphigenia Bay. Geologic evidence shows that the Chatham Strait fault was active as recently as the mid-Tertiary period and had total right lateral displacement up to 150 km.

Although a 1987 magnitude 5.3 (mb - body wave magnitude) earthquake was located near the Chatham Strait fault, very few earthquakes in the area appear to have been directly related to the fault.


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Updated: October 2006