Latest news with #Dura
News18
4 days ago
- Science
- News18
100-Ft ‘Doomsday' Tsunami Could ‘Wipe Out' Part Of US ‘Any Moment'
Last Updated: The Cascadia Subduction Zone has stayed calm for 300 years. When it finally breaks, it could trigger a huge earthquake followed by a tsunami with waves as high as 100 feet. While the world focuses on AI threats and the looming possibility of World War III, Mother Nature has issued a stark reminder of her own power. Scientists have long warned of impending natural disasters, and a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) adds to those concerns. The research suggests that the United States could soon face one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in its history. What Is The Threat? The Cascadia Subduction Zone has stayed calm for 300 years. When it finally breaks, it could trigger a huge earthquake followed by a tsunami with waves as high as 100 feet. The disaster could bring severe damage and threaten many lives from northern California in the US to British Columbia in Canada. According to a new study, this could cause sudden and serious changes. Scientists found that during a major earthquake, the land could sink by 0.5 to 2 meters within minutes. Along with the sinking, rising sea levels could lead to a much bigger risk of flooding. The study warns that by the year 2100, the number of people, buildings and roads at risk of flooding could more than triple. Researchers say this growing danger needs more attention, planning, and action to reduce damage in the future. What Scientists Are Warning The World About Now 'This is going to be a very catastrophic event for the US, for sure. It's a dual threat. The tsunami is going to come in, and it's going to be devastating. But with tsunamis, we also know that some places are going to be very hard hit, while other places are probably not going to feel as severe effects because of the way the coast is configured. But those areas can still be in the zone of subsidence," Dura added. Rising Waters And Sinking Land The study reveals that while many coastal areas are gradually sinking each year, parts of Washington, Oregon and Northern California are experiencing the opposite, land uplift due to deep underground movements. In cities like Astoria, Port Orford, and Crescent City, the land is rising faster than sea levels, causing water levels to remain stable or even decline slightly. However, in areas such as Yaquina Bay and Coos Bay, the land is rising more slowly, leading to a noticeable increase in sea levels. One exception is Humboldt Bay in Northern California, where the land is sinking. Scientists warn that by around 2030, sea levels will rise faster than the land can keep up. By 2050, water levels may rise to 10 to 30 centimetres, and by 2100, sea levels might increase by 40 to 90 centimetres if carbon emissions stay high. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Metro
6 days ago
- Science
- Metro
'Doomsday' 100-foot mega tsunami likely to hit the US at any moment
Scientists are warning that a 100-foot, Doomsday-style mega tsunami is primed to hit the US West Coast at any moment – and likely within 50 years. On top of that, experts say that the sooner the tsunami hits, the better. The natural disaster threat stems from the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which is a nearly 700-mile fault line from northern California to British Columbia, that has not had much movement in 300 years. That means that the zone is due for a major earthquake, and its effects are predicted to be worse as time goes on. 'By 2100, when climate-driven sea-level rise will compound the hazard, a great earthquake could expand floodplains… more than tripling the flooding exposure of residents, structures, and roads under the high subsidence scenario compared to the 2023 floodplain,' states a recent article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. There is a 37% chance of a quake in the Pacific Northwest happening in the next half-century, and one is almost guaranteed to hit by 2100, according to the study published in April. 'This is going to be a very catastrophic event for the US, for sure,' the study's lead author, Tina Dura, told BBC Science Focus. 'The tsunami is going to come in, and it's going to be devastating.' A quake of magnitude 8.0 to 9.0 could create a 100-foot tsunami capable of crushing eight feet of the coastline and wiping out much of the West Coast. 'After the tsunami comes and eventually recedes, the land is going to persist at lower levels,' Dura said. 'That floodplain footprint is going to be altered for decades or even centuries.' More Trending Such a quake could cause 5,800 deaths, and the resulting tsunami could claim another 8,000 lives, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the nation's agency helping people before, during and after disasters. The coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington, up to northern Vancouver Island in Canada, are under the threat. The last massive earthquake, magnitude 9.0, hit in January 1700 and spurred a tsunami that took out the village of Pachena Bay in British Columbia. 'This study underscores the need to consider combined earthquake and climate impacts in planning for coastal resilience at the Cascadia subduction zone and globally,' states the article. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Woman bombarded with hundreds of Amazon packages she never ordered MORE: Urgent recall of Ritz crackers over 'life-threatening' health risk MORE: Mystery after missing paddleboarder's body found in 'unusual' position on secluded lake
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
3.6 Magnitude Earthquake Rattles U.S. Town Near Volcano
The United States has dealt with a flurry of earthquakes this month, raising concerns about "The Big One." Last week, the United States Geological Survey detected a trio of earthquakes in California in a 24-hour span. The first earthquake had a 2.9 magnitude. Although the other two earthquakes weren't that impactful, there are concerns about a sizable earthquake leveling the West Coast. "Since it has been more than 144 years since the last major earthquake, the clock is ticking," researchers at the University of California, Berkley said. "It is very likely that the Hayward fault will rupture and produce a significant earthquake within the next 30 years." Virginia Tech professor Tina Dura agreed that California could face "The Big One" at some point in the future. "But geologically speaking, we're well within the window of possibility. The last event was in 1700, and paleoseismic records show these earthquakes recur roughly every 200 to 800 years," Dura told Newsweek. "The National Seismic Hazard model shows that there is a 15% chance of a large (over magnitude 8) earthquake happening sometime in the next 50 years." While we're not sure when or if this will happen, the US Geological Survey confirmed that a 3.6 magnitude earthquake was detected this Friday. A small town in Idaho was rocked by this earthquake Friday. The earthquake actually occurred 126 miles from the Yellowstone's caldera, a volcanic depression at that park. "These tremors usually shake areas within the Yellowstone Caldera and nearby fault zones, but the supervolcano can also influence seismic activity over 100 miles away," Daily Mail's report stated. "A new study recently showed that Yellowstone's magma chamber is just 2.3 miles or about 12,500 feet below Earth's surface." Geologists are still investigating this incident. We're certainly hoping the United States avoids a catastrophic earthquake.3.6 Magnitude Earthquake Rattles U.S. Town Near Volcano first appeared on The Spun on May 23, 2025
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientist Issues Warning of Major West Coast Earthquake
It's been nearly 12 decades since the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 killed as many as 3,000 people. Now, one scientist is warning that another major West Coast earthquake could be imminent and perhaps even more devastating than that one. Tina Dura, a geosciences professor at Virginia Tech, was the lead author of a recent study that looked into the risk of major flooding in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. The study looked into flooding that would be caused from two factors happening together: powerful earthquakes and rising sea levels due to climate change. Dura and other experts have begun to worry about "the next big event being imminent" in the Cascadia subduction zone, which stretches from Northern California to Washington, given that a major event has not happened in over 300 years. "We expect something like the Japan 2011 and Sumatra 2004 earthquakes and tsunamis to occur there," Dura told Accuweather. In an email to Newsweek, Dura clarified that such an earthquake could come "tomorrow or decades from now," but it's "well within the window of possibility." "But geologically speaking, we're well within the window of possibility. The last event was in 1700, and paleoseismic records show these earthquakes recur roughly every 200 to 800 years," she told Newsweek. "The National Seismic Hazard model shows that there is a 15% chance of a large (over magnitude 8) earthquake happening sometime in the next 50 years. "By 2100, there is a 30% chance of a large earthquake happening. To me, those probabilities are high enough that we should be preparing for the effects of such an earthquake." The Cascadia Subduction Zone is a fault line where the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate is slowly sliding beneath the North American plate. As Newsweek explains, the boundary between the two tectonic plates is capable of producing megathrust earthquakes that strike with little warning, impacting hundreds of miles of coastline simultaneously, which could trigger widespread land subsidence, powerful tsunamis, and long-lasting infrastructure failures. Based on the warnings from Dura and other experts, it sounds like this type of earthquake could strike at any time.
Newsweek
12-05-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
Scientists Warn a 'Megaquake' Event in Coastal Cities Could Be 'Imminent'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A scientist has warned that "the next big event" could be "imminent" if a megaquake shakes the Pacific Northwest. Tina Dura, a geosciences professor at Virginia Tech, was the lead author on a new study that examined the risk of major coastal flooding in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California from two factors happening together: powerful earthquakes and rising sea levels due to climate change. 'We worry about the next big event being imminent' Normally, scientists and planners consider rising oceans caused by melting ice and warming water. But Dura's group took a closer look at a different threat that could happen very suddenly—land dropping by up to two meters during a major earthquake along the Cascadia subduction zone, which stretches from Northern California to Washington. Stock image. Stock image. Photo by Allan Swart / Getty Images Dura said the researchers worry about "the next big event being imminent" since more than 300 years have passed since the last significant earthquake. "We expect something like the Japan 2011 and Sumatra 2004 earthquakes and tsunamis to occur there," Dura told Accuweather. In an email to Newsweek, Dura clarified that the next great Cascadia earthquake could be "tomorrow or decades from now". "But geologically speaking, we're well within the window of possibility. The last event was in 1700, and paleoseismic records show these earthquakes recur roughly every 200 to 800 years," she said. "The National Seismic Hazard model shows that there is a 15% chance of a large (over magnitude 8) earthquake happening sometime in the next 50 years. "By 2100, there is a 30% chance of a large earthquake happening. To me, those probabilities are high enough that we should be preparing for the effects of such an earthquake." Why Earthquakes Are So Impactful on the West Coast Earthquakes on the West Coast are especially dangerous because of the region's position along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a fault line where the Juan de Fuca plate is slowly sliding beneath the North American plate. This tectonic boundary is capable of producing megathrust earthquakes that strike with little warning and affect hundreds of miles of coastline simultaneously. Unlike smaller, localized faults, Cascadia events can trigger widespread land subsidence, powerful tsunamis and long-lasting infrastructure failures, making them among the most catastrophic natural hazards in North America. Why It Matters The potential for a great earthquake is a massive flood risk multiplier. The study found that if a major Cascadia earthquake struck today, floodplains could grow by as much as 300 square kilometers (about 116 square miles), more than doubling the number of homes, roads, and structures exposed to flooding. By 2100, when climate-driven sea-level rise is projected to significantly worsen baseline flood levels, that number could climb even higher—up to 370 square kilometers (143 square miles), tripling the exposure. "The risks from a Cascadia earthquake go beyond shaking and tsunamis," Dura told Newsweek. "Sudden land subsidence during the quake can instantly expand flood zones and leave low-lying areas permanently more vulnerable to flooding, especially as sea levels rise. "These overlapping hazards can turn a bad disaster into a much worse one if we don't plan ahead with the full picture in mind." What To Do Dura said preparation should take place on multiple fronts. "At the individual level, people should know their evacuation zones, have a go-bag ready, and plan for at least a week without outside help," Dura told Newsweek. "At the societal level, we need to invest in resilient infrastructure, update land-use plans to reflect compound hazards like flood plain expansion after earthquakes, and prioritize the most vulnerable communities in emergency planning."
