Simulation of Tsunamis from Great Earthquakes on the Cascadia Subduction Zone
Max K.-F. Ng 1,
Paul H. Leblond 1, and
Tad S. Murty 2
1 Department of Oceanography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1W5
2 Institute of Ocean Sciences, Post Office Box 6000, Sidney, BC Canada V8L 4B2
Large earthquakes occur episodically in the Cascadia subduction zone. A numerical model has been used to simulate and assess the hazards of a tsunami generated by a hypothetical earthquake of magnitude 8.5 associated with rupture of the northern sections of the subduction zone. Wave amplitudes on the outer coast are closely related to the magnitude of sea-bottom displacement (5.0 meters). Some amplification, up to a factor of 3, may occur in some coastal embayments. Wave amplitudes in the protected waters of Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia are predicted to be only about one fifth of those estmated on the outer coast.
