The US Geological Survey website http://www.usgs.gov carries news in its press release section that on 26 January 1700 the largest earthquake known to have occurred in the "lower 48" United States, rocked Cascadia, a region 600 miles long that includes northern California, Oregon, Washington and southern British Columbia. The earthquake set off a tsunami that not only struck Cascadia's Pacific coast, but also crossed the Pacific Ocean to Japan, where it damaged coastal villages.

Written records of the damage in Japan pinpoint the earthquake to the evening of 26 January 1700. Its size is estimated as magnitude 9. The existence of the 1700 Cascadia earthquake was unknown just 20 years ago. Its discovery resulted from scientific sleuthing in the USA, Canada and Japan. An early breakthrough came in 1987, when U.S. Geological Survey geologist Brian Atwater reported geological traces of giant earthquakes along Washington's Pacific coast.

These traces include groves of trees that were killed when an earthquake lowered forests into salt water. A special public programme was held last evening in the Burke Museum on the University of Washington campus when an award, signed by Washington Governor Gary Locke, was presented to Kazue Ueda, one of the Japanese researchers who identified the 1700 tsunami in Japan. Further information on the USGS website or from pjorgenson@usgs.gov