Experts issue major warning for 'mega-tsunami' that could hit parts of the US

A huge earthquake could hit parts of the US soon for the first time in over 300 years.

A new study has looked into the possibility of an earthquake greater than 8.0 magnitude hitting the Pacific northwest in the coming years, and the results are pretty concerning.

The findings by researchers from Virginia Tech were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last month.

The study revealed that an earthquake could occur along the Cascadia subduction zone — a 600-mile convergent plate boundary that extends from northern California to southern British Columbia.

Apparently this part of the US has a 15 percent chance of experiencing an earthquake greater than 8.0 magnitude in the next 50 years.

Such a quake would cause coastal land to sink up to 6.5 feet, explains the new study.

Washington's Columbia River is part of the Cascadia Subduction Zone (Getty Stock Image)

One of the biggest earthquake of records that has happened in the US is what's known as the Great Alaska Earthquake that occurred in 1964 and was a magnitude 9.2, says the US Geological Survey.

Speaking on the worrying revelations, Tina Dura, lead author of the study and assistant professor of geosciences in the College of Science, said: "The expansion of the coastal floodplain following a Cascadia subduction zone earthquake has not been previously quantified, and the impacts to land use could significantly increase the timeline to recovery."

Some of the worst impacted areas would be southern Washington, northern Oregon, and northern California.

If the devastating quake were to happen today, Dura and her team estimated that '14,350 residents, 22,500 structures, and 777 miles of roadway would fall within the post-earthquake floodplain'.

A team at Virginia Tech conducted the research (Getty Stock Image)

The Cascadia subduction zone is part of the 'Pacific Ring of Fire' — an area responsible for many of the world's largest earthquakes and tsunamis.

By 2100, it's forecast that sea levels will rise another three feet, thus exacerbating the damage.

Dura went on to warn: "Today, and more so in 2100 as background sea levels rise, the immediate effect of earthquake-driven subsidence will be a delay in response and recovery from the earthquake due to compromised assets. Long-term effects could render many coastal communities uninhabitable."

While America has had an earthquake above the magnitude of 8.0 in recent decades, should one occur along the Cascadia subduction, it'll be the first one in the area since January 1700.

Study authors have said that we should be preparing for such a cataclysmic event.

"Preparing for these compound hazards can minimize long-term damage, ensure resilient communities, and protect critical coastal ecosystems from permanent degradation," the authors wrote, as per The Guardian.

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