The ‘Big One’ just got more complicated

Scientists have discovered a massive tear in the tectonic plate off the coast of Vancouver Island. This "rip" suggests that the northern end of the Cascadia Subduction Zone is actually starting to shut down. The CBC’s Johanna Wagstaffe investigates what this discovery might mean for the "Big One" off the coast of Vancouver Island.

The Explorer plate is not sub-ducting which is causing a tear in the junction with the Juan de Fuca plate.

Check out CBC short piece on this new discovery.

Learning more about the Explorer Plate via Wikipedia

(full article)

The eastern boundary of the Explorer plate is being subducted under the North American plate. The southern boundary is a collection of transform faults, the Sovanco fracture zone, separating the Explorer plate from the Pacific plate. To the southeast is another transform boundary, the Nootka Fault, which separates the Explorer plate from the Juan de Fuca plate and forms a triple junction with the North American plate. To the northwest is a divergent boundary with the Pacific plate forming the Explorer Ridge, and the Winona Basin located within the northwest boundaries and the Pacific continental shelf. The Queen Charlotte triple junction is located where the Pacific plate and North American plate meets with the Explorer plate.