If you think New Yorker’s earthquake story is scary, better read thisAlthough a terrifying read, the New Yorker piece shouldn’t surprise Seattle Times readers. Science reporter Sandi Doughton wrote the book on the “really big one.” Literally. Her 2013 release, “Full Rip 9.0,” describes the eventuality of a mega-quake in jarring detail. It also explains the science behind the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
Here’s the first chapter of Doughton’s book, excerpted in Pacific NW Magazine.
More of Doughton’s earthquake and tsunami reporting:
A Grays Harbor County school built the first vertical tsunami refuge in the U.S. – with a gym strong enough so 1,000 people could stand on its roof through a tsunami surge.
Doughton traveled to Japan to report on seafloor-monitoring technology that allows Japanese scientists to monitor the Nankai Trough, a submarine fault so similar to the Cascadia Subduction Zone it’s considered a “sister.”
When the “really big one” hits, Seattle’s bluffs and slopes are expected to slide, too. A University of Washington study found a big earthquake could could trigger as many as 30,000 landslides in Seattle.
Some subduction zones may give scientists warning before they slip and shake, making some earthquakes predictable.
Scientists and technology companies are trying to develop earthquake-alert technology for the Pacific Northwest.
Research shows the Cascadia fault is so slippery, tidal forces produced by the sun and moon might be able to trigger earthquake tremors.
Experts say it’s possible 100-foot waves could slam the Pacific Northwest if the Cascadia fault snaps.
Monster earthquakes might come in succession.
Scientists have learned a lot since the Nisqually earthquake in 2001, and it’s mostly bad news.
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link to www.seattletimes.com]
New Yorker Story
The Really Big One
An earthquake will destroy a sizable portion of the coastal Northwest. The question is when.
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link to www.newyorker.com]