Current:Home > InvestStudy finds ‘rare but real risk’ of tsunami threat to parts of Alaska’s largest city -Nova Finance Academy
Study finds ‘rare but real risk’ of tsunami threat to parts of Alaska’s largest city
View
Date:2025-04-18 09:26:26
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Researchers have concluded there is a “rare but real risk” that an earthquake-produced tsunami could inundate parts of coastal Anchorage under certain conditions, a newspaper reported, a shift from the prior understanding of the risk posed to Alaska’s largest city.
Previously, researchers said the shallow waters of Upper Cook Inlet would work to diminish the power of a tsunami wave. But that was not based on scientific modeling, said Elena Suleimani, an author of the report and a tsunami modeler with the Alaska Earthquake Center, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
“Up until now, our understanding of the risk or level of hazard exposure was just anecdotal,” Suleimani said.
The findings from the study by the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys — released Wednesday — stem from a first-time effort to model potential tsunami impacts on Anchorage based on various earthquake scenarios, according to the newspaper.
“A rare combination of earthquake magnitude, location, and timing must be satisfied for tsunami wave energy to reach upper Cook Inlet coincident with a natural high tide,” the study states.
Part of the reasoning for the belief that Anchorage was not susceptible was that during a magnitude 9.2 earthquake in 1964, there was no observation of a tsunami in the city, the researchers said. But they found through modeling that the earthquake did produce a 10-foot (3-meter) tsunami — one that went unnoticed because it arrived at 2 a.m. during a minus-16-foot (minus-4.9-meter) low tide that resulted in the water level staying below normal high tide levels.
The modeling of future tsunami potential for Anchorage evaluates hypothetical situations involving a quake above 8.5 in magnitude.
A potential worst-case scenario would largely affect park land and infrastructure, such as the port, but also could affect some waterfront homes, said Amanda Loach, director of Anchorage’s emergency management office. The dynamics of Upper Cook Inlet are such that a destructive wave would probably be hours away, so people could be warned in advance, she said.
The city and state plan to work on a plan to address the risk, Loach said. Residents shouldn’t be alarmed by the report but should think about preparedness, she said.
veryGood! (6456)
Related
- 'Most Whopper
- Firefighters curb blazes threatening 2 cities in western Canada but are ‘not out of the woods yet’
- Tropical Storm Emily takes shape in the Atlantic, as storm activity starts to warm up
- Red Sox infielder Luis Urías makes history with back-to-back grand slams
- Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
- Have Mercy and Take a Look at These Cute Pics of John Stamos and His Son Billy
- Ex-ESPN anchor Sage Steele alleges Barbara Walters 'tried to beat me up' on set of 'The View'
- Maryland reports state’s first case of locally acquired malaria strain in over 40 years
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- How a family’s choice to donate a body for pig kidney research could help change transplants
Ranking
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Rare flesh-eating bacteria kills 5 in Florida, 3 in New York, Connecticut
- Houstonians worry new laws will deter voters who don’t recall the hard-won fight for voting rights
- Hilary, now a tropical storm, is nearing California from Mexico with punishing rains
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Americans face more sticker shock at the pump as gas prices hit 10-month high. Here's why
- From turmoil to triumph, Spain clinches its first Women’s World Cup title with a win over England
- As college football season arrives, schools pay monitors to stop players and staff from gambling
Recommendation
Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
Tribal courts across the country are expanding holistic alternatives to the criminal justice system
Marvin Hayes Is Spreading ‘Compost Fever’ in Baltimore’s Neighborhoods. He Thinks it Might Save the City.
‘Blue Beetle’ unseats ‘Barbie’ atop box office, ending four-week reign
Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
John Stamos Shares Adorable Video With 5-Year-Old Son Billy on His 60th Birthday
Troopers on leave after shooting suspect who lunged at them with knife, Maryland State Police say
Saints: Jimmy Graham back with team after stopped by police during ‘medical episode’