A magnitude 9.0 earthquake could certainly qualify as the much-feared “big one” in Washington state. New simulation videos from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources show how big the tsunami waves might be.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday on the series of modeled videos (watch one below) that show tsunamis started by a very large quake on the Cascadia subduction zone. Washington Geological Survey hazard geologists created wave and velocity simulations for the entire coast as well as Bellingham, Wash., and the San Juan Islands.
The simulations show the estimated height and speed of waves that are expected to reach Washington communities minutes after the next Cascadia earthquake.
According to the AP, the first waves after an earthquake would reach the outer coast in about 15 minutes. The tsunami is then shown traveling through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and into Puget Sound, reaching the Tacoma waterfront about two hours and 30 minutes after the quake.
Previously on GeekWire:
USGS awards $10.4M for ShakeAlert quake warning in Pacific Northwest
How earthquake patterns could let us know when the ‘Really Big One’ is coming
4.6 earthquake rattles Seattle region in the middle of the night
