How would Vancouver deal with an 8.9 Earthquake?

[BretttheRiderFan]

Watching what's happening in Japan right now, I can't help but think about a similar event eventually occuring in Vancouver

How would the city hold up? What would the damage be? What would be safe and what would be destroyed? Would there be a similar tsunami as happened in Japan?

[ue]

Depending on where the earthquake's epicentre is, Vancouver Island could protect Vancouver from a devastating tsunami. I remember hearing something like that shortly after the 2004 Tsunami. Victoria could suffer more, though, being better exposed to the ocean. I think such a large earthquake is more likely around Oregon or Southern California, anyways. Oregon has been building up momentum for a "big one" for a while (being many fault lines intersect and conflict), and Southern California also seems to be of attention to seismologists.

[SpongeG]

richmond would suffer from liquification - as would other parts - like where IKEA is in coquitlam is all on former swampy bog land and IKEA and a number of buildings are already sinking there

they say the buildings and stuff are upgraded but who knows - if we lose a bridge or two it would be really bad we could really be cut off - the airport is pretty low and could flood or liquify so that could be bad too

we are sort of urged to keep an earthquake kit and most people know what to do duck and cover and such.

[Nicko999]

If the epicentre is below the city of Vancouver (or any other city in the world) then, I'm afraid it might catastrophic.

Hopefully it never happens.

[vid]

Originally Posted by Nicko999

Hopefully it never happens.

The longer that area goes without an earthquake, the stronger it will be when one finally happens.

[kcantor]

Originally Posted by edmontonenthusiast

Depending on where the earthquake's epicentre is, Vancouver Island could protect Vancouver from a devastating tsunami. I remember hearing something like that shortly after the 2004 Tsunami. Victoria could suffer more, though, being better exposed to the ocean. I think such a large earthquake is more likely around Oregon or Southern California, anyways. Oregon has been building up momentum for a "big one" for a while (being many fault lines intersect and conflict), and Southern California also seems to be of attention to seismologists.

the other "school" is that the water funneled into the strait of juan de fuca from both north and south of vancouver island might result in even higher waves as they surge through the narrower spaces and that areas even as far up burrard inlet as port moody and indian arm may get higher surges than open west coast shorelines.

[kcantor]

Originally Posted by BretttheRiderFan

Watching what's happening in Japan right now, I can't help but think about a similar event eventually occuring in Vancouver

How would the city hold up? What would the damage be? What would be safe and what would be destroyed? Would there be a similar tsunami as happened in Japan?

what would be destroyed and what would survive (including highrises) might surprise many:

http://msn-cnet.com.com/8301-17852_3...bj=ns&tag=feed

[lubicon]

Originally Posted by Nicko999

If the epicentre is below the city of Vancouver (or any other city in the world) then, I'm afraid it might catastrophic.

Hopefully it never happens.

It will happen, it's just a matter of time. Hopefully not in our lifetime.

[Traynor]

I thought all Vancouverites new about the Juan de Fuca Plate....

Your're overdue for another over 8.0M earthquake since the last one in 1700.

Oh well... Here's the Wikipedia Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_de_Fuca_Plate

And for a shocker... Watch skyscrapers sway in Tokyo today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xlUnl5jnIk

[Nicko999]

Wow... I would be scared to death if I was in that building.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by cdnklc

the other "school" is that the water funneled into the strait of juan de fuca from both north and south of vancouver island might result in even higher waves as they surge through the narrower spaces and that areas even as far up burrard inlet as port moody and indian arm may get higher surges than open west coast shorelines.

there was a special on TV once - i think discovery about that scenario and it would be worse cause the water basically bounces back and forth between the island and the mainland cause it can't get back out to sea

[eternallyme]

The epicentre of such an earthquake would be offshore, with the worst-case scenario for the BC coast being near Tofino. But it could be as far south as off of Eureka, California, as the rupture would be extremely long in what would be between an 8.6 and a 9.3 earthquake.

Western Vancouver Island would see low-lying areas obliterated by the probable tsunami.

[ue]

Does Vancouver have any fault lines running under neath the city? If it does, it's more likely for the city to be the epicentre. I know Portland, Oregon does and the city is long overdue for a big one. Like Vancouver, the last big one was a few hundred years ago.

Originally Posted by SpongeG

there was a special on TV once - i think discovery about that scenario and it would be worse cause the water basically bounces back and forth between the island and the mainland cause it can't get back out to sea

Yeah, that sounds very plausible too.

[whatnext]

CBC report:

http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-596...F1YWtlcy5odG1s

[SpikePhanta]

Originally Posted by edmontonenthusiast

Does Vancouver have any fault lines running under neath the city? If it does, it's more likely for the city to be the epicentre. I know Portland, Oregon does and the city is long overdue for a big one. Like Vancouver, the last big one was a few hundred years ago.



Yeah, that sounds very plausible too.

Abotsford has a minor fault line running under it, but vancouver city proper doesnt.

[Traynor]

Originally Posted by SpikePhanta

Abotsford has a minor fault line running under it, but vancouver city proper doesnt.

Don't believe that for a second. The Christchurch earthquake was under that city and that fault was unknown until it went off. And they have extensively studied the fault zones in that area and still they missed it.

When Toronto had a Temblor a few years ago they discovered a previously unknown fault line that runs under the Pickering Nuclear Power Plant. Seismologists extensively studied that area for years before it was built and it was placed there because there was supposed to be no fault.

Moral of the story: They only know for sure about faults that have slipped and nothing about the ones that haven't. Vancouver is in the Ring of Fire, I hazard to guess it has more than one fault running under it.

[SpikePhanta]

Pardon my ignorance, by i do not know whether bedrock or volcanic rock can have faultlines, so if anyone here can correct me, thank you!

[vid]

Fault lines are in the bedrock, they're where two pieces meet and are moving away, together with one going underneath the other, or along each other.

[Yume-sama]

What magnitude are buildings in Canada generally constructed to withstand?

I remember my first earthquake in Canada, it was far more disconcerting (even though it was beyond minor) than earthquakes I'd been in in Japan lol mainly because you don't expect it.

Usually I am able to sleep through Tokyo earthquakes and then find out about it in the paper the next morning.

[vid]

I think in Ontario they're supposed to be designed to 6.5 or something? That's more of an issue in the south where they get earthquakes (especially the Ottawa valley). In the north we just get glacial rebound and that is less noticeable than a train going by, though it wakes some people up if it happens at night.