A compilation of 621 stress
indicators in Alaska shows a fan
pattern of 
directions radiating from the
syntaxis in the St. Elias range
[ Estabrook and Jacob,
1991]. In a uniform elastic
material, such a stress pattern
would suggest a stress
singularity, or at least high
values. However, a nonlinear
thin-plate finite-element model
with faults [ Bird, 1992b]
shows that the stress magnitudes
are low, and that the pattern is
due to the juxtaposition of
transpression on the Fairweather
fault with terrane collision of
the Yakutat block. Thus, Alaska
is no exception to the general
weakness of major faults. The
same model also predicted rapid
westward transport of the west
Aleutian forearc, which is
consistent with the evidence of
seismic slip vectors [
McCaffrey, 1992].