05-28-2019, 06:50 PM
Chunster - wrap-around tsunamis have indeed created a lot of damage and deaths. Tsunamis behave just like any wave in physics, they get diffracted and refracted. Diffraction happens when waves meet a "sharp" edge, like the sides of an island or points sticking out from a continent. Then they also get refracted by changes of density in the ocean - mainly caused by changes in depth. And then you have to consider the precise origin of the earthquake.
It's not something anyone can accurately predict, at least right now. Terracore's video link shows that it seems likely there were big tsunamis all the way down to SoCal and Hawaii got hit badly. I think the only safe thing to say is that if a similar earthquake occurred, if it was farther to the east, the mainland west cost would be better off, but if it occurred more to the west, the west coast would be hit harder.
In both cases, we would be hit hard. On the other hand, it would depend on how deep the earthquake was and whether it generated a tsunami in the first place. There are so many factors involved it's no surprise it's not something that can be predicted.
It's not something anyone can accurately predict, at least right now. Terracore's video link shows that it seems likely there were big tsunamis all the way down to SoCal and Hawaii got hit badly. I think the only safe thing to say is that if a similar earthquake occurred, if it was farther to the east, the mainland west cost would be better off, but if it occurred more to the west, the west coast would be hit harder.
In both cases, we would be hit hard. On the other hand, it would depend on how deep the earthquake was and whether it generated a tsunami in the first place. There are so many factors involved it's no surprise it's not something that can be predicted.