Clues Warn of Massive Quake in Northwest

PORTLAND, Ore. —  Another strong clue that the Northwest is due for a massive earthquake has been found in highway surveys and changes in tidal patterns.

The independent measurements from the different sources makes the evidence especially strong that the region is facing a major jolt, according to a team of Oregon researchers.

“There aren’t a lot of other choices than a big earthquake,” said Clifton E. Mitchell, the co-author of a University of Oregon study to be published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

Several leading geologists praised the report, the first major study of its kind.

“It took these guys about four to five years to knock all the bugs out of it. Most of us feel pretty confident it’s reliable work,” said Robert Yeats, an Oregon State University geologist who has done extensive studies on the region’s earthquake potential.

Yeats said there is little doubt among scientists that the Northwest is due for a giant quake.