The coast of the Pacific Northwest from space
The coast of the Pacific Northwest from space.

Recent press coverage and conversations on social media have been a good reminder for Pacific Northwesterners that they live in a seismically active region. Stretching from northern California to British Columbia, the Cascadia subduction zone could slip at any time, causing a powerful earthquake and triggering a tsunami that would impact coastal communities.

Scientists from multiple disciplines at the University of Washington and other institutions are working to learn more about this natural hazard. Dozens of UW scientists are part of the M9 Project, a research endeavor funded by the National Science Foundation to study the Cascadia subduction zone and communicate information about potential hazards to government officials and the public.

Two University of Washington scientists—applied mathematics professor Randy LeVeque and affiliate professor of Earth and space sciences Frank Gonzalez—recently talked about how they model tsunami hazards along the Northwest coast.

See the full Q&A at UW Today »