19-05-2025
Scientists warn of possible 1,000ft tsunami risking US coastal areas
Alaska
Hawaii
Hawaii's volcanic islands have a history of mega-tsunamis driven by collapsing volcanoes. Around 105,000 years ago, a 1,000-foot wave slammed into the island of Lanai, leaving marine fossils high on its mountains. Researchers believe this was caused by a massive volcanic landslide, similar to the Cumbre Vieja scenario. Other ancient slides, like the 20-mile-long Nu'uanu slide, sent huge volumes of rock into the sea, generating waves up to 300 feet high that reshaped the islands' coasts. Hawaii's volcanoes grow by piling up layers of lava, but these slopes can become unstable and collapse, especially during eruptions or earthquakes. This can cause millions of tons of rock to slide into the ocean, creating mega-tsunamis that devastate nearby islands. The islands' steep terrain makes these events particularly dangerous.
The West Coast
On January 26, 1700, a magnitude 9 earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone unleashed a mega-tsunami that destroyed the village of Pachena Bay on the West Coast. Waves up to 100 feet high struck just 30 minutes after the quake, leaving no survivors. Huu-ay-aht Chief Louis Clamhouse, speaking in 1964, shared the oral history: 'The land shook at night… they had no time to escape. All drowned.' The quake also lowered coastal forests into the tidal zone, creating 'ghost forests' of dead tree stumps still visible today. Across the Pacific, Japan recorded a mysterious tsunami, later linked to this event.
A similar event could trigger a tsunami like Japan's 2011 Tohoku-oki disaster, which killed nearly 16,000 people. The US Geological Survey and FEMA have estimated that there's a 37 percent chance of a magnitude 8 to 9 earthquake in Cascadia within the next 50 years. Coastal towns like Tillamook, Astoria, and Newport could be submerged, with parts of the coast sinking permanently. Researchers are improving early warning systems and evacuation plans, but the region's vulnerability to earthquakes keeps the tsunami threat alive.
Alaska, Hawaii, and the West Coast face ongoing risks of mega-tsunamis due to their active geology and changing environments. Landslides fueled by melting glaciers in Alaska, unstable volcanoes in Hawaii, and powerful earthquakes along the West Coast could unleash catastrophic waves, as they have in the past. While scientists monitor these dangers and communities prepare through planning and education, the threat remains real.
Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.
