Concerns Grow Among US Scientists Over Natural Disasters in the Pacific Northwest
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New York, Dec 3 (NationPress) US scientists have identified that one of the most significant threats on Earth lies just off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, as highlighted by the substantial losses experienced in previous natural disasters, which can sometimes escalate to uncontrollable levels, according to local media reports.
The extent of the danger facing the Pacific Northwest is difficult to comprehend: ground-shaking tremors lasting up to five minutes, over 600,000 structures either toppled or damaged, 13,800 fatalities, and more than 100,000 injuries, as per a 2022 report from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The financial toll from the earthquake alone is projected to reach $134 billion, as reported by Xinhua news agency, citing The Washington Post.
"The Cascadia Subduction Zone, where one tectonic plate descends beneath another, extends from Northern California to Vancouver Island in Canada, becoming stuck and accumulating stress until it eventually releases," the report stated. Scientists estimate that there have been at least 19 significant megathrust earthquakes in the Cascadia Subduction Zone over the past 10,000 years.
In proximity to the Pacific Northwest's particularly volatile fault zone, the Juan de Fuca plate, located just offshore, descends beneath the North American continental plate at a speed comparable to fingernail growth, as noted in the report.
"A colossal earthquake will inevitably shake the region. Minutes to hours afterwards, a surge of seawater will inundate the land. The timing remains uncertain," it further added.
