Experts have warned that a potential “mega tsunami” could devastate entire communities with its enormous waves.
Alaska, Hawaii, and the US West Coast remain at risk because of their proximity to disaster-prone areas — with the West Coast recently receiving an updated alert.
A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that an earthquake might occur along the Cascadia subduction zone, a fault line extending from Northern Vancouver Island to Cape Mendocino, California.
Researchers at Virginia Tech discovered that a strong earthquake, combined with rising sea levels, could trigger a mega tsunami, posing the greatest threat to residents and properties in Northern California, northern Oregon, and southern Washington.
A mega tsunami is a catastrophic wave generated by the sudden displacement of ocean water, often caused by earthquakes, landslides, or volcanic eruptions.
Experts emphasized that the fault line has a 15% probability of producing an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 or higher within the next 50 years, which could cause coastal land to subside by up to 6½ feet.
“The expansion of the coastal floodplain after a Cascadia subduction zone earthquake has never been quantified before, and the effects on land use could significantly prolong the recovery period,” said Tina Dura, lead author of the study and assistant professor in Virginia Tech’s Department of Geosciences.
Alaska remains a hotspot for landslides due to its rugged landscape and frequent earthquakes, and with climate change causing glaciers to melt, slopes are becoming unstable and rocks are loosening, according to the Daily Mail.
In Hawaii, volcanic islands have a long history of mega tsunamis triggered by collapsing volcanoes. Around 105,000 years ago, a 1,000-foot wave struck the island of Lanai.
Hawaiian volcanoes grow as layers of lava accumulate, creating unstable slopes prone to collapse, especially during volcanic eruptions or earthquakes. When this happens, millions of rocks can tumble into the ocean, displacing water and generating a mega tsunami.
Because Hawaii’s volcanoes remain active, the threat persists—especially on the Big Island’s southeast side, where younger volcanoes like Mauna Loa and Kilauea are currently erupting. Kilauea has been spewing lava for months, with its most recent eruption ending on May 16.
On the West Coast, the Cascadia subduction zone remains one of North America’s most active seismic regions, with a high likelihood of a major earthquake occurring in the coming decades.
The Cascadia subduction zone is part of the “Ring of Fire,” where the Pacific Plate meets another tectonic plate, producing some of the strongest earthquakes in the world along with the majority of volcanic eruptions.
However, the study’s authors pointed out that the region has not experienced an earthquake with a magnitude over 8.0 since January 26, 1700.
“Cascadia is a unique area. While it’s not densely populated, most estuaries have communities located within them, and all lie within the subsidence zone,” Dura explained. “Honestly, I believe the subsidence here could have more significant impacts than in other recent major earthquakes worldwide.”
