1700 Cascadia earthquake
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
|---|---|
| Local date | January 26, 1700 |
| Local time | circa 21:00 PST |
| Magnitude | 8.7–9.2 Mw |
| Epicenter | 45°N 125°W / 45°N 125°W |
| Fault | Cascadia subduction zone |
| Type | Megathrust |
| Tsunami | Yes |
| Casualties | Many Native Americans killed or displaced by shaking or subsequent tsunami |
The 1700 Cascadia earthquake occurred along the Cascadia subduction zone on January 26, 1700, with an estimated moment magnitude of 8.7–9.2. The megathrust earthquake involved the Juan de Fuca plate from mid-Vancouver Island, south along the Pacific Northwest coast as far as northern California. The plate slipped an average of 20 meters (66 ft) along a fault rupture about 1,000 kilometers (600 mi) long.
The earthquake caused a tsunami which struck the west coast of North America and the coast of Japan. Japanese tsunami records, along with reconstructions of the wave moving across the ocean, put the earthquake at about 9:00 PM Pacific Time on the evening of 26 January 1700.