06:37:00
A 9.2-magnitude earthquake could trigger three-metre-high waves and leave 13,000 dead and a million homeless.
An event of its kind occurs roughly every 400-600 years, and scientists fear the US West Coast is due another - which could leave thousands dead.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) simulation shows the spread of tsunami waves from the Cascadia Subduction Zone epicentre - which runs from Vancouver Island to northern California.
Within minutes parts of the coastline lights up in red - signifying waves that are three metres high.
Some 15 hours later, the eastern coastlines of Japan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia are then battered by similar-sized waves.
The video shows the tsunami effects lasted for around 48 hours, meaning a similar-sized quake today would leave a trail of death and devastation along the heavily populated coastlines.
Some scientific studies have speculated that up to 13,000 people could be killed, with a million displaced.
The origins and date of the 1700 quake were traced by analysing sediment deposits and the "ghost forests" of drowned trees.
Comparing the tree rings of dead trees with those still living allowed scientists to pinpoint the date.
They also looked at historical records from Japan to map out where the huge waves were recorded.
Contingency plans for another "Big One" are already in place, but mapping such as this helps emergency services to refine their response plans.
A terrifying new simulation shows how the "Big One" earthquake devastated the Earth more than 300 years ago.
The 9.2-magnitude quake off the coast of California on 27
January 1700 was so powerful it caused a tsunami that struck the coast
of Japan.An event of its kind occurs roughly every 400-600 years, and scientists fear the US West Coast is due another - which could leave thousands dead.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) simulation shows the spread of tsunami waves from the Cascadia Subduction Zone epicentre - which runs from Vancouver Island to northern California.
Within minutes parts of the coastline lights up in red - signifying waves that are three metres high.
Some 15 hours later, the eastern coastlines of Japan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia are then battered by similar-sized waves.
The video shows the tsunami effects lasted for around 48 hours, meaning a similar-sized quake today would leave a trail of death and devastation along the heavily populated coastlines.
Some scientific studies have speculated that up to 13,000 people could be killed, with a million displaced.
The origins and date of the 1700 quake were traced by analysing sediment deposits and the "ghost forests" of drowned trees.
Comparing the tree rings of dead trees with those still living allowed scientists to pinpoint the date.
They also looked at historical records from Japan to map out where the huge waves were recorded.
Contingency plans for another "Big One" are already in place, but mapping such as this helps emergency services to refine their response plans.
0 comments:
Post a Comment