Deep, slow-slip action may direct largest earthquakes and their tsunamis

Megathrust earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis that originate in subduction zones like Cascadia—Vancouver Island, Canada, to northern California—are some of the most severe natural disasters in the world. Now a team of geoscientists thinks the key to understanding some of these destructive events may lie in the deep, gradual slow-slip behaviors beneath the subduction zones. This information might help in planning for future earthquakes in the area.