A quiet Alaska fault is missing the fluids scientists expected – and it’s changing what we know about earthquake zones

Understanding why some faults creep rather than sticking and causing massive earthquakes is important for gauging the future risk of both earthquakes and tsunamis.

By: Yinchu Li, Georgia Institute of Technology, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: May 4, 2026

Words: 956

Last Updated: 2 months, 3 weeks ago

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By Yinchu Li, Georgia Institute of Technology

Not all earthquake faults behave the same. Some stick and snap, causing earthquakes. Others move slowly over time.

For years, the leading explanation for slow-moving faults has been that high-pressure fluids along the fault lubricate it, allowing the slabs to slide steadily rather than building up stress until that stress is eventually released in a large, destructive earthquake.

But in a new study of the Shumagin …

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