Study: Southern California Coast Vulnerable To Tsunamis
SACRAMENTO (CBS Sacramento) - The Southern California coastline is more vulnerable to tsunamis that previously thought.
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside created 3D computer models of the the Ventura Basin, which is home to several offshore faults that could potentially generate earthquakes of magnitude 7 or greater.
They simulated what would happen if a magnitude 7.7 earthquake were to trigger a tsunami in the basin.
One wave raced towards Santa Barbara, hitting there just five minutes after the quake.
A second wave moved south towards Santa Cruz Island. But the shape of the coastline and sea floor sent that wave in an unexpected direction, straight towards the cities of Ventura and Oxnard.
"This is a severe, but plausible, scenario," lead author Kenny Ryan told Live Science.
The computer models suggested the wave could crest at 23 feet and inundate the Southland for over a mile inland.
"The hypothetical earthquake scenario in this study would be among the top three or four largest-magnitude earthquakes ever recorded in California, dating back to the mid-18th century," Ryan said. "Nonetheless, it is crucial to investigate the possible effects from such rare but plausible earthquake and tsunami scenarios."
While the changes of such an earthquake hitting off the California coast are low, it has happened before.
In 1812 a magnitude 7 earthquake hit off the coast of Santa Barbara. Contemporary news reports described a huge wave smashing on shore.
The study is published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
