CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – An earthquake was reported off Florida’s Space Coast, but how likely is it that a tsunami could hit the state?
Tsunamis are triggered by several events, including large earthquakes that happen near or under the ocean, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. But unlike typical ocean waves, tsunamis “do not ‘break’ like the curling, wind-generated waves popular with surfers.”
Most tsunamis are less than 10 feet high, but in extreme cases they can grow taller than 100 feet. They are typically unnoticeable over the open water but grow due to the water piling up along the coastline.
Tsunamis can travel about as fast a jet airliner. A tell-tale sign of a tsunami from the beach is the water receding moments before the wave comes ashore.
But, in order for a tsunami to be triggered, the earthquake has to have a magnitude over 7.0 and happen near subduction zones, where oceanic and continental plates collide, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The nearest subduction zone resides in the eastern Caribbean between the North America plate and the Caribbean plate. There is also a subduction zone off the west coast of the U.S.
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The west coast of the U.S. is part of the “Ring of Fire,” a highly seismic region of the world that consists of underwater volcanoes and earthquake sites, NOAA said.
The earthquake has to be big enough and close to the ocean floor to cause the floor itself to rise or drop, according to NOAA, moving the water up and down.
“As the water moves up and down, seeking to regain its balance, the tsunami radiates out in all directions,” NOAA said.
The latest earthquake was reported as a magnitude 4.0 and earthquakes of this magnitude “are very unlikely to trigger a tsunami,” according to USGS.
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