Colossal 75 Mile Wide Rift Rips Open Beneath Northwest US In First Ever Recorded Plate Death

In September 2025, scientists captured a phenomenon never before seen in real time: a tectonic plate actively tearing apart beneath the Pacific Northwest. A 75-kilometer rift is slicing through the Juan de Fuca plate off Vancouver Island, offering a rare window into the planet’s inner workings and raising urgent questions about the seismic future for millions living in the region.