California earthquake fault poses tsunami risk, experts say
FILE - This Aug. 10, 2011 photo shows a tsunami evacuation sign in Long Beach, Wash. A new study shows that about 5,500 more people could survive a major tsunami hitting the Northwest Coast if they just walk a little faster to reach higher ground and safety. The study published Monday, April 13, 2015 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences looked at risks in 73 communities along 700 miles of coastline in Oregon, Washington, and Northern California when the Cascadia Subduction Zone breaks loose with its next major earthquake and tsunami. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, file)
VENTURA, Calif. >> Scientists say the earthquake fault that runs through the coastal city of Ventura can produce strong shaking and dangerous tsunamis, prompting state officials to study whether to revise hazard maps.
The Los Angeles Times reports that new research shows the Ventura fault is more dangerous than previously thought, capable of producing quakes as large as magnitude 8. A large quake on the Ventura fault could spawn a tsunami that begins in the Santa Barbara Channel and affect coastal communities to the south.
The California Geological Survey says it’s studying whether to redraw tsunami hazard maps in light of the new information.
A major earthquake on the Ventura fault is estimated to occur every 400 to 2,400 years. The last major quake hit about 800 years ago.
