Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey, the California Geological Survey, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, and other agencies, academic and other institutions are teaming up to improve tsunami resilience in California. Instead of attempting to predict when tsunami-producing earthquake will occur, these scientists are instead identifying the impacts of a tsunami on local infrastructure and the economy. The new report, the SAFRR (Science Application for Risk Reduction) Tsunami Scenario, proposes hypothetical yet plausible scenarios in which tsunamis could hit California’s coast, such as an earthquake off the coast of Alaska creating a tsunami that extends down to California.

These scenarios will lead to workshops in which emergency managers and coastal community stakeholders get together to discuss possible hazards. The program aims to establish a community of experts while fostering the use of science in decision-making.

Sources: Energy & Environment Daily, the U.S. Geological Service