Scientists warn if a 1,000-ft ‘mega-tsunami’ spurs from an lively fault line it may wipe a part of America off the map

[ad_1] Scientists are warning {that a} 1,000-foot-tall “mega tsunami” may doubtlessly wipe a big chunk of America off the map – if a powerful sufficient earthquake hits a particular lively fault line over the following 50 years.

Alaska, Hawaii and elements of the mainland America’s West Coast are in danger if an earthquake erupts alongside the Cascadia subduction zone, a fault stretching from Northern Vancouver Island to Cape Mendocino, California.

A latest examine by Virginia Tech geoscientists revealed within the Proceedings of the Nationwide Academy of Sciences estimates that there’s a 15 p.c likelihood of a magnitude 8.0 earthquake hitting the area inside the subsequent 50 years.

That quake, which might doubtlessly flush away cities like Seattle and Portland, Oregon, may additionally sink coastal land by as a lot as 6.5 ft, in line with the findings.

<img alt="A ‘mega-tsunami’ could potentially wipe out a large chunk of America if a strong enough earthquake hits a specific active fault line, scientist say. (AFP via Getty Images)" loading="lazy" width="960" height="640" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="rounded-lg" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/xiKPT7XGhI65.PzvnUyWaQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_independent_635/482c1cec1516db7252a7a77f013431fe"/> A ‘mega-tsunami’ may doubtlessly wipe out a big chunk of America if a powerful sufficient earthquake hits a particular lively fault line, scientist say. (AFP by way of Getty Photos)

<img alt="Seattle (pictured) and Portland, Oregon, are two of the cities that could be wiped off the map if a 1,000-foot tsunami hits. (Getty Images)" loading="lazy" width="960" height="640" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="rounded-lg" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/sHseuv1OF1lHVf4c1dJahw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_independent_635/b6f82aaf05e60a819f355397100f611a"/> Seattle (pictured) and Portland, Oregon, are two of the cities that could possibly be wiped off the map if a 1,000-foot tsunami hits. (Getty Photos)

In that occasion, the mega tsunami’s waves may attain as much as 1,000 ft, placing thousands and thousands of Individuals at new danger.

Whereas unusual tsunamis produce waves standing just a few ft tall, mega-tsunamis are characterised by excessive top, with waves typically stretching a whole lot of ft into the air. Not like gradual climate-driven occasions, this potential earthquake would “occur inside minutes, leaving no time for adaptation or mitigation,” the scientists warned.

“The enlargement of the coastal floodplain following a Cascadia subduction zone earthquake has not been beforehand quantified, and the impacts to land use may considerably enhance the timeline to restoration,” mentioned Tina Dura, lead creator of the examine and assistant professor in Virginia Tech’s Division of Geosciences.