The Cascadia Earthquake: A Disaster that Could Happen

2015 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effect of a tsunami

Imagine if a 9.0 earthquake struck the West Coast today, resulting in a giant tsunami. Coastal towns would be washed away or completely isolated, and electricity would be lost (FOX5). There would be $70 billion in damage and people would only have 15 minutest to evacuate or move to higher ground resulting in 10,000 deaths (FOX5). This sounds like a plot for a scary movie, but this is actually a reality. The Oregon Coast in located on a subduction zone, which makes it very susceptible to major earthquakes and tsunamis. With the Cascadia subduction zone running along he West Coast the threat of a major tsunami is very real.
The scenario mentioned above was based on the rupture located along the Cascadia fault line. This fault system runs from Northern California to Vancouver Island about 700 miles off the shore (FOX5). Scientists use to believe that the San Andreas Fault was where a large earthquake tsunami would originate, but recently their attention has shifted to the Cascadia subduction zone which is now said to be much more dangerous than previously thought (FOX5). Recent earthquake events have added even more tension and possibility for a large-scale tsunami. On March 10, 2014, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California, which put a lot of stress on the Mendocino Triple Junction (Davidson). The Mendocino Triple Junction is where three tectonic plates collide, and is very unstable (Davidson). This junction has all this built up pressure and is about ready to explode. Scientists believe that this junction will be the origin of a tear along the 680-mile long Cascadia Subduction Zone. (Davidson). The disaster that follows will be considered the United State’s largest modern-day earthquake.
Cascadia...

... middle of paper ...

...eared." FOX5 San Diego. Tribune Broadcasting
Company, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. .

"Traces of radiation from Japanese tsunami disaster expected soon along Oregon coast."
The Oregonian 14 Mar. 2014: Oregon Live. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. .

Watanabe, Yasunori, et al. "Evolution Of The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake Tsunami On The
Pacific Coast Of Hokkaido." Coastal Engineering Journal 54.1 (2012): 1250002-1-1250002-17. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.

Yong Cheol, Kim, Choi Minha, and Cho Yong-Sik. "Tsunami Hazard Area
Predicted By Probability Distribution Tendency." Journal Of Coastal Research 28.5 (2012): 1020-1031. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Investigation on Coastal Erosion In Porlock Bay

    3494 Words  | 7 Pages

    Investigation on Coastal Erosion In Porlock Bay Aims ---- Aim 1: To find out if beach material is moved across Porlock Bay by longshore drift. Aim 2: To find out which type of sea defense is best for Porlock bay. If L.S.D. (long shore drift) were taking place I would expect to find: a) Deposition at one end of the bay and against any abstractions such as groynes. b)

    Read More

  • Sea Defences at Minehead and Their Effectiveness

    1857 Words  | 4 Pages

    coast (as shown in pictures 1 & 2). The area of sea is subject to the

    Read More

  • The Coastal Defences at Reculver

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    See Location Map of the coastline being studied from Herne Bay to Reculver.

    Read More

  • Longshore Drift And Groynes

    974 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... consider some ideas of what can be done to further enhance the management of the coastal issue. Using the research action plan, I aim to acquire a sophisticated understanding of longshore drift, coastal management and implementations of coastal issues, through the research action plan. Most importantly, I will include various diagrams explaining how the process of longshore drift occurs and what implementations it has on coastal environments, accompanied by an explanation of how the issue is being managed, a detailed outline of the geographical processes involved and a discussion of the impacts of the issue and why it is important.

    Read More

  • Earthquake of 1987

    1588 Words  | 4 Pages

    Earthquakes in California are certainly not a surprise. What is a surprise is their unpredictability and randomness. Geologists say there is roughly a 50 percent chance that a magnitude 8 or more quake will hit the Los Angeles area sometime over the next 30 years. And, over the past twenty years, the Los Angeles area has witnessed several earthquakes, and in particular, two that were quite devastating; the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, and the January 17, 1994, Northridge Earthquake. Given the certainty that earthquakes will occur, they still seem to come as a surprise, and leave many communities unprepared to deal with their aftermath.

    Read More

  • Coastal Erosion: La Playa Loca

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    Garrison, Tom. "Chapter 12: Coasts." Oceanography: An Invitation to Marine Science. 7th ed. Cengage Learning, 2010. 319+. Print.

    Read More

  • The Northridge California Earthquake

    1129 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before examining the Northridge event, understanding the naturally occurring hazard that is an earthquake will help to better understand exactly what happened and why it was such an important geological event. With four distinct layers, two layers, the crust and upper portion of the mantle, compose the skin that is the surface layer of the Earth. The crust is not a single, continuous piece. It is actually several different pieces, or plates, that come together to form the puzzle that comprises the surface of the Earth. These plates are in constant motion rubbing against one another. These areas, known as fault lines, where the plates rub up against one another have spots where one plate ”gets stuck while the rest of the plate keeps moving. When the plate has moved far enough, the edges unstick and is how most of the earthquakes around the world occur” (Wald, 2012). The energy stored from the friction of the two plate...

    Read More

  • Ventura County Climate Action Plan

    1073 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Forecasting Effects of Sea-Level Rise and Windstorms on Coastal and Inland Ecosystems." Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 6.5 (2008): 255-63. JSTOR. Ecological Society of America, June 2008. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.

    Read More

  • The Bay Area and Earthquakes

    340 Words  | 1 Pages

    What have they learned since the quake quite allot. The fault moved in a fashion that geologists of

    Read More

  • The Susceptibility of California to Earthquakes

    1237 Words  | 3 Pages

    Earthquakes have impacted many areas in the United States, especially along the western coast in states like Alaska, Hawaii, and California. California is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because it is located on the famous San Andreas Fault in the very seismically active Ring of Fire. Earthquake hazards are also prominent in many other regions across the United States including the Rocky Mountain region, the New Madrid Seismic Zone (a portion of the central United States), as well as portions of the eastern seaboard, specifically South Carolina. Close to “75 million people in 39 states” face considerable and recurring risks from contemporary earthquakes (Monahan 2). Owing to the destructive effects of California’s earthquakes in the past few decades and generally around the world, scientists have made an effort to locate and measure the size of an earthquake, predict a location’s vulnerability to earthquakes, and develop seismic warning systems in an attempt to reduce potential losses in...

    Read More

  • Seattle Research Paper

    1832 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Seattle Fault is a zone of multiple shallow east-west thrust faults that cross the Puget Sound Lowland and through Seattle (in the U.S. state of Washington) in the vicinity of Interstate Highway 90. The Seattle Fault was first recognized as a significant seismic hazard in 1992 when a set of reports showed that about 1,100 years ago it was the scene of a major earthquake of about magnitude 7, an event that entered Indian oral legend. Extensive research has since shown the Seattle Fault to be part of a regional system of faults. Since Seattle is prone to earthquakes, it is important for the city to prepare for the disasters in order to reduce the damages. Below I have listed

    Read More

  • Japan's Earthquake and Tsunami: Operation Tomodachi

    1059 Words  | 3 Pages

    Japan is no stranger to earthquakes nor are they unfamiliar with tsunamis; however, the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami was different. Registering at a staggering magnitude of 9.0, the Tohoku earthquake was the largest in Japan's history. The “death toll is estimated at 14,027 people, with 13,754 people missing. Furthermore, the disaster displaced over 136,000 people, destroyed over 4,500 buildings, and damaged 71 bridges, over 3,500 roads, and 26 railways.” (Tomodachi Analysis) Despite the earthquake's magnitude, it was the resultant tsunami that caused the majority of the deaths from this disaster.

    Read More

  • Human Activities And Natural Processes: Narrabeen Lagoon

    1933 Words  | 4 Pages

    Destructive waves causing the largest wave cut platform in the Southern Hemisphere along Long Reef Beach

    Read More

  • San Andrea Fault

    473 Words  | 1 Pages

    San Andrea Fault Introduction The San Andreas Fault is a geologic fault zone between two tectonic plates that runs from San Francisco south to San Diego in California. It is an area of frequent earthquakes caused by the plates sliding past each other. It is so called because it runs along the San Andreas Valley. The San Andreas fault was brought dramatically to world attention in 1906 when sudden displacement along the fault produced the great San Francisco earthquake and fire. This earthquake was but one of many that have resulted throughout its life of about 15-20 million years.

    Read More

  • Cause And Causes And Effects Of Seismic Sea Waves

    766 Words  | 2 Pages

    All tsunamis are potentially dangerous, even though they may not damage every coastline they strike. A tsunami can strike anywhere along most of the U.S. coastline. The most destructive tsunamis have occurred along the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii. Actually, tsunami not only happened within the U.S., also at Chile, Japan, Netherland and some countries nearby

    Read More

More about The Cascadia Earthquake: A Disaster that Could Happen

Open Document