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Multibeam bathymetric data offer high-resolution imagery of the entire Cascadia Subduction Zone

Northern Cascadia

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Central Cascadia

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Southern Cascadia

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By Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program April 23, 2025

Recently released multibeam bathymetric data offer a composite 30-meter-resolution surface of the Cascadia Subduction Zone offshore of Washington, Oregon, and northern California.

Media
Multibeam bathymetry compilation showing entire Cascadia Subduction Zone
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

As a result of interagency coordination between USGS, NOAA, and BOEM, the surface was generated to assist research projects studying offshore geohazards including mapping faults, submarine landslides, sediment transport pathways, and seafloor seeps.

As part of a broader collaborative effort to advance subduction zone science and improve hazard assessment, USGS is working with partners to integrate multi-resolution geophysical imaging and geological sampling to characterize offshore earthquake, landslide, and tsunami hazards. This geologic research and mapping is foundational to understanding how to manage offshore resources and improve public safety and resiliency in subduction zone areas such as Cascadia. 

 

Media
Northern Cascadia composite bathymetric map
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Northern Cascadia, offshore of Washington.
Media
Central Cascadia composite bathymetric map
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Central Cascadia, offshore of Oregon.
Media
Cascadia Margin composite bathymetric map
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Southern Cascadia, offshore of southern Oregon and northern California.

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A computed-generated image showing the Queen Charlotte Fault and nearshore area, using bathymetry and lidar data

Coastal and Marine Geohazards of the U.S. West Coast and Alaska

Coastal and marine geohazards are sudden and extreme events beneath the ocean that threaten coastal populations. These underwater hazards include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and tsunamis. The tectonically active west coast of the Americas is prone to such hazards, as it lies along the boundaries of major tectonic plates that make up the Earth's crust—the North American, Caribbean...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, 3-D CT Core Imaging Laboratory, Core Preparation and Analysis Laboratory and Sample Repositories, Big Sur Landslides, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization, Subduction Zone Science
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Coastal and Marine Geohazards of the U.S. West Coast and Alaska

Coastal and marine geohazards are sudden and extreme events beneath the ocean that threaten coastal populations. These underwater hazards include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and tsunamis. The tectonically active west coast of the Americas is prone to such hazards, as it lies along the boundaries of major tectonic plates that make up the Earth's crust—the North American, Caribbean...
Learn More
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Image shows methane bubbling up from the seafloor

EXPRESS: Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems

EXPRESS is a multi-year, multi-institution cooperative research campaign in deep sea areas of California, Oregon, and Washington, including the continental shelf and slope. EXPRESS data and information are intended to guide wise use of living marine resources and habitats, inform ocean energy and mineral resource decisions, and improve offshore hazard assessments.
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, 3-D CT Core Imaging Laboratory, Core Preparation and Analysis Laboratory and Sample Repositories, Multi-Sensor Core Logger Laboratory, Organic Geochemistry Laboratory, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization
link

EXPRESS: Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems

EXPRESS is a multi-year, multi-institution cooperative research campaign in deep sea areas of California, Oregon, and Washington, including the continental shelf and slope. EXPRESS data and information are intended to guide wise use of living marine resources and habitats, inform ocean energy and mineral resource decisions, and improve offshore hazard assessments.
Learn More
Northern Cascadia

Northern Cascadia

Central Cascadia

Central Cascadia

Southern Cascadia

Southern Cascadia

Related

link
A computed-generated image showing the Queen Charlotte Fault and nearshore area, using bathymetry and lidar data

Coastal and Marine Geohazards of the U.S. West Coast and Alaska

Coastal and marine geohazards are sudden and extreme events beneath the ocean that threaten coastal populations. These underwater hazards include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and tsunamis. The tectonically active west coast of the Americas is prone to such hazards, as it lies along the boundaries of major tectonic plates that make up the Earth's crust—the North American, Caribbean...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, 3-D CT Core Imaging Laboratory, Core Preparation and Analysis Laboratory and Sample Repositories, Big Sur Landslides, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization, Subduction Zone Science
link

Coastal and Marine Geohazards of the U.S. West Coast and Alaska

Coastal and marine geohazards are sudden and extreme events beneath the ocean that threaten coastal populations. These underwater hazards include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and tsunamis. The tectonically active west coast of the Americas is prone to such hazards, as it lies along the boundaries of major tectonic plates that make up the Earth's crust—the North American, Caribbean...
Learn More
link
Image shows methane bubbling up from the seafloor

EXPRESS: Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems

EXPRESS is a multi-year, multi-institution cooperative research campaign in deep sea areas of California, Oregon, and Washington, including the continental shelf and slope. EXPRESS data and information are intended to guide wise use of living marine resources and habitats, inform ocean energy and mineral resource decisions, and improve offshore hazard assessments.
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, 3-D CT Core Imaging Laboratory, Core Preparation and Analysis Laboratory and Sample Repositories, Multi-Sensor Core Logger Laboratory, Organic Geochemistry Laboratory, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization
link

EXPRESS: Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems

EXPRESS is a multi-year, multi-institution cooperative research campaign in deep sea areas of California, Oregon, and Washington, including the continental shelf and slope. EXPRESS data and information are intended to guide wise use of living marine resources and habitats, inform ocean energy and mineral resource decisions, and improve offshore hazard assessments.
Learn More
Northern Cascadia

Northern Cascadia

Central Cascadia

Central Cascadia

Southern Cascadia

Southern Cascadia

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