Experts have issued a serious warning about the likelihood of a major 8.0-magnitude earthquake striking the United States within the next 50 years. Such an event would be unprecedented in over three centuries, raising urgent concerns among scientists and emergency planners.
Researchers from Virginia Tech published their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, highlighting the Cascadia subduction zone as the likely source of the earthquake. This fault line stretches approximately 600 miles from northern California to southern British Columbia.
The potential quake could unleash massive seismic waves, reaching heights of up to 1,000 feet. These waves pose a grave risk to coastal communities, threatening lives and infrastructure. Regions including Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. West Coast are identified as particularly vulnerable.
