100-foot mega tsunami coming? Oregon hit by dozens of earthquakes, renewing fears of magnitude 9 temblor

Multiple earthquakes were reported off the coast of Oregon within 12 hours, sparking fears that they could be a warning sign for a big one. The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected more than a dozen tremors starting late Monday night. The first one was a 5.8 magnitude earthquake, followed by aftershocks, all above 2.5 magnitude. The epicentre was located along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a major seismic zone that experts say can produce a major earthquake. At this point, the oceanic Juan de Fuca Plate is forced beneath the North American Plate. The Cascadia zone runs for 1,000 km off the Pacific coast of North America, from northern Vancouver Island to northern California. Experts have previously warned that the Cascadia fault can spawn a magnitude 9 earthquake that can rattle the northwestern US Coast. Also Read: Scientists raise alarm for US and Canada, warn of 100-foot tsunami that will alter geography for centuries

Similar jolts were recorded in Northern California as well on Tuesday, where about half a dozen earthquakes were detected. The magnitude was only about 2.5, but this region sits on the San Andreas Fault, another area at risk of a major earthquake. The Cascadia subduction zone has witnessed mammoth temblors in the past, with the last Big One occurring in 1700. This makes the region overdue for another earthquake that could reach a magnitude of 9. A study published in Science about the Nankai Trough in July revealed that this subduction zone, where the Philippine Sea Plate is being pushed beneath Japan, is experiencing slow-slip earthquakes. It compared it to the Cascadia fault, which it stated is not loud enough to reveal what is going on. Also Read: Can a magnitude 9 earthquake hit Earth? This fault has a history of terror tremors

What is the Cascadia fault?

The study raised concerns that if the Cascadia fault remains locked, massive amounts of energy can be released, triggering rare magnitude-9 megathrust earthquakes. Scientists have warned that if and when such an earthquake hits the region, a 100-foot mega tsunami would be triggered. It would instantly wipe off almost eight feet of the coastline, and other areas would gradually go underwater. This warning was carried in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by an international team led by researchers at Virginia Tech. Professor Tina Dura, the lead author of the study, said, "This is going to be a very catastrophic event for the US, for sure. The tsunami is going to come in, and it's going to be devastating."

Oregon is one of the areas in the list of places at risk of drowning in such an event, as per this study. The mega tsunami would hit northern Vancouver Island in Canada, the southern half of the US West Coast, and the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. Another warning came from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which has estimated that the next major earthquake in Cascadia would kill 5,800 people and injure 100,000, while the tsunami alone would kill another 8,000 people. Economic losses would stand at $134 billion.