IS THERE A TSUNAMI IN THE FUTURE OF THE WEST COAST OF THE US???
The "Cascadia" faultline lies just 40 miles off the west coast of Washington and Oregon. It has been named the "twin faultline" of the one in the Indian ocean that caused the devastating tsunami December of 2004.
The crust of the earth is formed by "plates" and where these plates meet are called subduction zones. Most subduction zones are in the pacific ocean in an area known to scientists as the "ring of fire".
These subduction zones are also known as faultlines, and these faultlines (plates) move one under the other in a constant, violent battle with each other!
Plates crashing against each other create ridges above them (slopes, hills, mountains) and these ridges can later produce landslides under the sea which can also produce tsunamis.
Some ridges actually rise above the surface of the water eventually and become islands (land masses).
*****In the case of the indonesian tsunami.....the Indian plate is moving west and the Asian plate is moving east, and for 200+ years these two plates were stuck but still pushing violently against one another, bending the upper plate like a springboard.
Then on December 26th, 2004 the top plate bounced back up instantly causing the ridge to break, and causing a "mega thrust earthquake" which then resulted in the tsunami that we all witnessed!
The undersea earthquake measured 9.2 on the richter scale and the resulting tsunami ravaged 13 countries with waves up to 60 feet high. Before the wave completely dissappated it went around the world 3 times!!
And least we forget only 1/2 of the indian ocean faultline ruptured. Scientists say the whole faultline is approx. 1000 miles long and they believe the other half WILL break soon!!
*****Ok back to the US........The cascadia faultline is almost identical to the one that caused the indian ocean earthquake! With one terrifying difference!
If this faultline ruptures the resulting tsunami will take only approx. 15 to reach shore and therefore ANY early warning system would be completely useless!! (The indian ocean tsunami took several hours to reach shore).
The earthquake from a cascadia rupture would be felt by everyone from Vancover Canada all the way down to Northern California.
The seismic waves would be felt within seconds of the cascadia rupture and would last several minutes, then within 15 minutes the tsunami would follow!!
Waves traveling 500 miles per hour will head toward land, and BILLIONS of tons of displaced water will hit the land!
Scientists estimate the first wave would be up to 70 feet high and the second wave could be up to 100 feet high! Scientists believe that Vancover Canada and Seattle Washington could be COMPLETELY destroyed, and that's just the beginning!!!
Will this happen??.... YES most definately!!
This is not a matter of IF, but rather a matter of WHEN!!!
Could be hundreds of years from now, or could be tomorrow!!
The crust of the earth is formed by "plates" and where these plates meet are called subduction zones. Most subduction zones are in the pacific ocean in an area known to scientists as the "ring of fire".
These subduction zones are also known as faultlines, and these faultlines (plates) move one under the other in a constant, violent battle with each other!
Plates crashing against each other create ridges above them (slopes, hills, mountains) and these ridges can later produce landslides under the sea which can also produce tsunamis.
Some ridges actually rise above the surface of the water eventually and become islands (land masses).
*****In the case of the indonesian tsunami.....the Indian plate is moving west and the Asian plate is moving east, and for 200+ years these two plates were stuck but still pushing violently against one another, bending the upper plate like a springboard.
Then on December 26th, 2004 the top plate bounced back up instantly causing the ridge to break, and causing a "mega thrust earthquake" which then resulted in the tsunami that we all witnessed!
The undersea earthquake measured 9.2 on the richter scale and the resulting tsunami ravaged 13 countries with waves up to 60 feet high. Before the wave completely dissappated it went around the world 3 times!!
And least we forget only 1/2 of the indian ocean faultline ruptured. Scientists say the whole faultline is approx. 1000 miles long and they believe the other half WILL break soon!!
*****Ok back to the US........The cascadia faultline is almost identical to the one that caused the indian ocean earthquake! With one terrifying difference!
If this faultline ruptures the resulting tsunami will take only approx. 15 to reach shore and therefore ANY early warning system would be completely useless!! (The indian ocean tsunami took several hours to reach shore).
The earthquake from a cascadia rupture would be felt by everyone from Vancover Canada all the way down to Northern California.
The seismic waves would be felt within seconds of the cascadia rupture and would last several minutes, then within 15 minutes the tsunami would follow!!
Waves traveling 500 miles per hour will head toward land, and BILLIONS of tons of displaced water will hit the land!
Scientists estimate the first wave would be up to 70 feet high and the second wave could be up to 100 feet high! Scientists believe that Vancover Canada and Seattle Washington could be COMPLETELY destroyed, and that's just the beginning!!!
Will this happen??.... YES most definately!!
This is not a matter of IF, but rather a matter of WHEN!!!
Could be hundreds of years from now, or could be tomorrow!!
posted by loki at 9:25 PM
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