Catastrophic events occur on the U.S. West Coast approximately every 500 years, and according to new data, the next major earthquake may be imminent, reports the Daily Mail. Researchers warn that a fault line off the coast could trigger an earthquake with a magnitude of up to nine, potentially causing a 30-meter-high tsunami. The British responded with irony: "Serves them right, we won't be bored!"
The underwater fault line along the U.S. West Coast, known as the Cascadia Subduction Zone, stretches 970 kilometers from southern Canada to northern California. New underwater mapping methods have allowed scientists to study this fault in unprecedented detail. They discovered that it is divided into four segments, which increases the likelihood of a more powerful earthquake due to the buildup of pressure between tectonic plates.
Potential Catastrophe
The study revealed that the Cascadia Subduction Zone could produce an earthquake with a magnitude of over nine, significantly exceeding the expected maximum of 8.3 in the San Andreas Fault. Such an earthquake could trigger a tsunami up to 30 meters high, take over 10,000 lives, and cause damage exceeding $80 billion in Oregon and Washington alone.
Disaster response plans in these states account for long-term consequences such as diseases from cadaveric poison, contaminated water, and chemical spills.
Historical and International Perspective
A similar fault off the coast of Japan caused a nine-magnitude earthquake in 2011, leading to a devastating tsunami that claimed nearly 20,000 lives. Scientists warn that a similar disaster could strike the U.S. The last major earthquake in the Cascadia Subduction Zone occurred in 1700, indicating that another event may happen in the near future.
New Research and Models
"The interval for recurring major events in this subduction zone is about 500 years," said Kelin Wang, a research scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada. The four segments of the fault make it more dangerous as they consist of different rock types and deposits. The most hazardous section stretches from northern Oregon to Washington and southern British Columbia.
Technical Details of the Study
Geophysicist Harold Tobin from the University of Washington noted that the flatter and smoother section of the zone could be the epicenter of the strongest earthquake, spreading destruction over a wide area. Researchers from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory created a map of the subduction zone using images from an active seismic source and a towed seismic streamer with 1,200 hydrophones.
Conclusion
"This is an amazing dataset," noted Kelin Wang. The new data will help better assess risks and improve building codes and zoning. Researchers hope their findings will help states in the potential disaster zone prepare for emergency response and evacuation in the event of a worst-case scenario.
