Topics: US News, Alaska, Hawaii, Environment, Climate Change, Science, Washington, Weather
Three areas across the country are at risk of being wiped out by a 'mega-tsunami,' experts are warning.
A huge 8.0 magnitude earthquake could soon hit parts of the US for the first time in more than 300 years, with the possibility of 1,000-foot-tall waves threatening to wash away communities and render them totally 'uninhabitable.'
The alarming discovery was made by Virginia Tech which published its study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last month.
Researchers said an earthquake could take place along the Cascadia subduction zone - a 600-mile convergent plate boundary that extends from northern California to southern British Columbia.
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Now, it has been revealed which three areas sit in the disaster zone - Alaska, Hawaii, and the West Coast of the mainland US, with the latter only recently being briefed in on the new warning.
Alaska has long been considered a hotspot for landslides due to its terrain and earthquakes.
Throw in the effects of climate change melting glaciers and reports indicate more areas of the land are becoming destabilized.
Meanwhile in Hawaii, the volcanic islands have a lengthy history of suffering from mega tsunamis, caused by the collapse of volcanos with millions of rocks falling into the ocean.
The West Coast is also considered one of the most active seismic areas in North America, reports New York Post, home to the infamous 'Pacific Ring of Fire' which is responsible for many of the world's largest earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.
The study warns the strong earthquake coupled with rising sea levels could create the perfect storm for a mega tsunami that could make its way towards northern California, northern Oregon and southern Washington.
Apparently this part of the world has a 15 percent chance of experiencing an earthquake greater than 8.0 magnitude in the next 50 years.
Such a quake would also cause coastal land to sink up to 6.5 feet, the new study states.
Speaking on the concerning 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."
If it were to happen today, Dura and her team estimated thousands of residents in the region of 14,350 would be impacted, as well as 22,500 structures and 777 miles of roadway would 'fall within the post-earthquake floodplain.'
By 2100, it is predicted sea levels will rise by another three feet, increasing the risk of damage.
Dura explained: "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."
However, some relief might be found in the fact such an earthquake with a seismic magnitude over 8.0 has not occurred in the region since January 1700, and Dura says the zone is not 'super heavily populated.'
Still, there are communities that sit 'right in the zone of subsidence,' she added.
"This is honestly where I think the subsidence could have bigger impacts than it has during other recent large earthquakes around the world.”
