What If a Mega-Seaquake Hits California?

Huge waves that wash away everything in their path. Destroyed homes, human casualties, utter chaos, and numerous fires. Does this sound like the plot of a disaster movie with multi-million dollar special effects? Well, this can happen in reality if a region is hit by a sea quake, an earthquake that is centered underwater or very close to water. many settlements in coastal zones around the world are in danger but today i chose one location to experience the power of the elements the state of california what would happen if a mega earthquake hit this area to understand what would happen to california we'll use the theory and experience of other regions nothing like this has ever happened here before But California is one of the most seismically active states in the United States. Many geological faults run through its territory. The most famous and largest of them is the San Andreas Fault. This is the boundary between the Pacific and North American plates, with a length of 1,200 kilometers or 750 miles. The plates slide, touch, and move on top of each other. This leads to constant tremors. According to data from the year 2020, in California, several earthquakes are recorded per day. The magnitude of the earthquakes fluctuates around the mark of three on the Richter scale, far from a disaster. But according to a forecast from the U.S. Geological Survey of 2013, earthquakes of a magnitude 6.7 or more occur throughout the state about once every seven years. At the same time, an earthquake of a magnitude 8 or more may occur here in the next 30 years. Scientists have also tried to assess the effects of a strong earthquake in Southern California. Earthquake shocks of a magnitude 7.8 along the southern part of the fault could lead to the death of about 1,800 people. The damage from such an earthquake at this time could amount to $213 billion. All of these studies relate to the land. But what if the center of the earthquake wasn't in the San Andreas Fault, but underwater or near the coastline? anything can trigger a seaquake the movement of lithospheric plates impressive landslides or strong eruptions of underwater volcanoes anything that can bring a large mass of water out of a state of rest will do take the city of santa monica as an example this is a coastal city that borders three districts of los angeles and is adjacent to the santa monica bay a nice resort place that For a huge seaquake, it would be easy to erase such a beach town from the face of the earth, and with it, a couple of nearby ones. Could this turn into a disaster for the entire US? First, let's determine the strength of the shocks. What about an earthquake of a magnitude 13 on the Richter scale? A shake of this magnitude corresponds to that which occurred during the fall of the Chicxulub asteroid 66 million years ago. The one that destroyed the dinosaurs. Perhaps this is too strong of an influence. Its results are already clear. Life on Earth could again be partially extinct. So, we need something less global. For example, an earthquake of a magnitude 9.5 occurred in 1960 in Chile. And although its epicenter wasn't under the ocean floor, Chile's experience allows you to imagine the possible destruction in California. Earthquake shocks of tremendous force caused a tsunami that hit the coastline in waves up to 25 meters, or 82 feet high. But the elements didn't stop there. Waves about 11 meters high or about 36 feet were recorded 10,000 kilometers or 6,200 miles from the epicenter. They reached Japan and the Philippines. The total number of deaths ranged from 490 to 5,700. The government of Chile estimated that 2 million more people were left homeless. The damage amounted to 550 million U.S. dollars. Now we have all the necessary information. Based on the aftermath of the most powerful earthquake in Chile, as well as a nine-point earthquake in Japan, and a slightly stronger one off the coast of Sumatra, you can predict the consequences. In addition, some data can be obtained using mathematical modeling. So the California Seaquake begins. The tremors would be incredibly powerful. According to calculations, a magnitude 9.5 is equivalent to about 2.7 gigatons of TNT. If the planet shudders with such force, then people within a radius of 560 kilometers or 348 miles would feel a strong shake. And by strong shake, I mean the kind where you can't stay on your feet. Most residential buildings within this radius would be destroyed immediately. The seaquake would begin to destroy not only Santa Monica and Los Angeles. The tremors could reach San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and these are only the places that would be affected by the same magnitude nine and a half. Many local residents could die under the rubble or be seriously injured. But it's unlikely that they would have time to escape, because the tremors are only the first part of the disaster. It would take time for the ocean to bring down giant waves on the coast. By the time they reached land, much of California would literally be cracked. Roads and all of the underground communications would be affected. The runway at the Santa Monica airport would be at risk of becoming unusable. Due to the strong shaking, a large part of the state could be left without electricity. The water pipes would start to burst, and with them the gas pipes. This would lead to explosions and fires that would quickly spread. They could cause panic and general chaos. it's almost impossible to restore order in such a situation the four local santa monica fire stations are hardly designed for destruction of this magnitude neighboring cities wouldn't be able to send aid because they would be in the same situation then sometime after the devastating earthquake shocks a tsunami would crash down on santa monica A wave of up to 25 meters or 82 feet would hit the town, the bay, and all of the islands in its path. A huge mass of water, at a speed of about 800 kilometers per hour, that's 500 miles per hour, would demolish everything it came across. Santa Monica would just be washed off the face of the earth. The good news is that a tsunami could put out fires if they occurred on land. The bad news? I don't think many people would be happy about this. The wave could reach Los Angeles. But it's not just these cities that could suffer. As is the case with all of the other major marine quakes, underwater tremors are enough to cause the destructive waves to travel a considerable distance. A 10-meter or 33-foot tsunami would reach both San Diego and San Francisco, but by that time, these cities would have already suffered from earthquake shocks. For sure, you could say goodbye to the Golden Gate Bridge. The famous prison on Alcatraz Island would be at risk of being washed away. Moreover, a wave at such a high speed could reach Indonesia, Japan, Russia, and even Australia. Hawaii. They would also suffer. This was the case after the earthquake in Chile. But a seaquake off the coast of Santa Monica would only be worse for them. And after the first wave, often comes a second. How much economic damage would California take? It's hard to say, but we can predict the number of victims. After the seaquake in Japan in 2011, almost 16,000 people died. The infamous seaquake in the Indian Ocean claimed the lives of 230,000 people. A California seaquake might take an intermediate position between these two disasters. If you liked this video, give it a thumbs up. Don't forget to subscribe to the channel if you haven't already. Click on the bell to receive timely notifications of new interesting videos that are waiting for you ahead.