New tsunami hazard maps highlight threat facing seven California counties — even Napa County
A new set of tsunami hazard maps are now available to coastal communities on the West Coast of the United States, as part of the ongoing California Geological Survey’s ongoing tsunami threat map program.
The latest hazards are the result of tsunami studies conducted over the course of the last ten years. The new maps update and validate the original hazard classifications of the first set of hazard maps released by California in 2009.
The new maps highlight that the threat posed to communities on the West Coast of the United States has been growing over the last three decades, as illustrated by a chart produced using a combination of the new hazard maps and the original earthquake hazard maps from the previous year. This particular hazard map is also linked to a map of the state of California with a number of additional tsunami hazard zones that have been added in the years since the first tsunami hazard map was released.
California is not alone in being faced with a growing threat from the potential for a major tsunami. The United States is currently experiencing an “avalanche” of tsunamis that have been attributed to earthquakes along a series of fault lines that stretch across the Pacific Ocean. Such earthquakes have been linked to the movement of fault lines on each side of the Pacific.
The California Geological Survey (CGS) is leading the charge toward developing and maintaining a comprehensive map of the tsunami threat in California. As the state’s premier research agency, the CGS is at the forefront of earthquake science in California and the nation, and is the leading authority on tsunami hazard analysis.
“The CGS is committed to the protection of the safety of people in California,” said CGS seismologist and seismologist Michael D. Green, who is leading the efforts to validate the new tsunami hazard maps. “By working alongside the state’s disaster emergency response organization, the Coast Guard and state agencies, we are building a body of knowledge that will protect all Californians from risk.”
The tsunami hazard maps will serve as a tool to assess risks to coastal communities in California. These maps can be used by government agencies, along
