America and American

[ANNE V. GILBERT]

Allen:

> Anne pointed out that it might have had some currency in limited circles
> as a new state, because the areas of Washington and Oregon west of the
> Cascade Mountains are perceived by some have little in common with those
> areas east of the Cascades.
> Most of the references to Cascadia I have located refer to the geologic
> area "Cascadia subduction zone" (see
> http://www.pgc.nrcan.gc.ca/geodyn/cascadia.htm) which refers to southern
> British Columbia and northwest Washington state). The plate  shifting is
> predicted to be the cause to "the big one" earthquake in the PNW.

Now that you mention it, "Cascadia" is the region *affected* by the San Juan
tectonic plate.  This region *does* include southern BC as well as
Washington and northern Oregon.  And it's responsible, among other things,
for the fact that there are seven active volcanoes in this region. Five of
them are located in the state of Washington:  Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Mt.
Baker, Glacier Peak, and the infamous Mt. St. Helens.  It is also
responsible for any number of earthquakes, of which a "prelude" to the "big
one" occurred last year on February 28, but, except in the downtown core did
nothing much except shake, rattle, and roll the city of Seattle(and jangle a
lot of nerves).
Anne G