1700 Cascadia Earthquake
- When
- 1700
- Where
- Cascadia subduction zone; Pacific Coast of Japan; Oregon and Washington coast
- Episodes
- 3
On January 26, 1700, a magnitude 8.7–9.2 megathrust earthquake ruptured the Cascadia subduction zone, generating a tsunami that reached Japan. Evidence includes Japanese records, dendrochronology, and indigenous oral traditions.
Episodes
- Local Geological Evidence
Dendrochronology and archaeological findings in the Pacific Northwest confirm the earthquake's impact, including coastal subsidence and village flooding.
- Cascadia Megathrust Rupture
A magnitude 8.7–9.2 earthquake ruptured the Cascadia subduction zone on January 26, 1700, at approximately 9:00 PM Pacific Time.
- Japanese Tsunami Arrival
Destructive tsunami waves struck the Pacific coast of Japan on January 27–28, 1700, providing key evidence for the earthquake's timing.
Background and detail
Seismic Event. The earthquake occurred along the Cascadia subduction zone, involving the Juan de Fuca plate from mid-Vancouver Island to northern California. The fault rupture extended approximately 1,000 kilometers, with an average slip of 20 meters.
Tsunami Impact. The earthquake generated a tsunami that struck the Pacific coast of Japan on January 27–28, 1700. Japanese records document destructive waves, while local evidence includes flooded coastal villages and 'ghost forests' of killed red cedars.
Evidence Base. Timing was inferred from Japanese tsunami records and dendrochronology. Indigenous oral traditions from British Columbia to Northern California describe the event, though they lack specific dates. No written records exist for the Pacific Northwest region at the time.
People involved
- Juan de Fuca plate · Tectonic plate involved in the megathrust rupture
- Indigenous coastal peoples · Witnesses preserving oral traditions of the earthquake and tsunami
Sources
- 1700 Cascadia earthquake Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-31
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.