Could a tsunami happen in the Pacific Northwest?

Could a tsunami happen in the Pacific Northwest?

In the past century, several damaging tsunamis have struck the Pacific Northwest coast (Northern California, Oregon, and Washington). Earthquakes along the fault that is the contact between the two plates, termed the interplate thrust or megathrust, may generate significant local tsunamis in the Pacific Northwest.

What is the likelihood of a major tsunami striking the Pacific Northwest?

a 37 percent chance
It’s when, not if, the Pacific Northwest is due for a major seismic disaster; scientists say there’s a 37 percent chance one could strike in the next 50 years.

How far inland would a tsunami go in Washington?

There is evidence that an earthquake on the Seattle Fault that occurred around 900 AD produced a 16-foot tsunami. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recreated this tsunami using a model. The modelled tsunami would flood areas up to one mile inland with depths up to 5 meters.

Could a tsunami hit Olympia WA?

Bellingham, Olympia, Seattle, and Tacoma could see anywhere from 6 inches to 11 feet of water from a tsunami off the Washington coast. EVERETT, Wash. Part of the Snohomish River Delta between Everett and Marysville could get nearly 6 feet, and Seattle’s Harbor Island could be inundated with nearly 4 feet of water.

Are there tsunamis on the Pacific Northwest Coast?

In the first phase of research on potential tsunamis that may occur along the Pacific Northwest coast, we showed that the individual parameters of earthquake rupture (e.g., geometry of faulting, orientation of slip) have a significant effect on the local tsunami wavefield.

Is the Pacific Northwest part of the Cascadia subduction zone?

The Pacific Northwest is the site of the Cascadia subduction zone, where an oceanic tectonic plate (the Juan de Fuca plate) is being pulled and driven (i.e., subducted) beneath a continental plate (the North American plate).

How tall was the tsunami produced by the Cascadia earthquake?

The tsunami produced could reach heights of 80 to 100 feet (24 to 30 m). A 2004 study revealed the potential for relative mean sea level rise (caused by subsidence) along the Cascadia subduction zone.

What kind of tsunami is generated by fault C?

The local tsunami that is generated from this rupture is shown below as a synthetic marigram (wave amplitude as a function of time). Fault C, shown in the second set of figures, ruptures much shallower in the earth and generates a substantially larger tsunami.