Did the california earthquake cause a tsunami. Tsunamis are only caused by big submarine earthquakes. A tsunami triggered by the massive earthquake in japan rushed onto californias coast friday causing powerful surges that destroyed boat docks as beach area residents throughout the state. For more information on tsunami inundation maps see the noaa center for tsunami research.
That one caused 4 million in damage and injured 94 people in imperial county while leaving 3000 people temporarily homeless in the mexicali area of baja california. But whether theyre generated by local or distant sources. At greater distances small sea level changes might be observed.
The primary tsunami threat along the central california coast is from distant tsunamis generated by earthquakes along subduction zones such as the 1964 great alaska earthquake. Californias san andreas and associated faults are located on land. Most of the tsunamis observed in california have been small causing a slight rise in water levels in coastal areas and little damage.
However there are instances where tsunamis have caused multiple deaths. Magnitudes between 76 and 78. In 1987 a magnitude 62 earthquake was followed more than 11 hours later by a magnitude 66 quake on the superstition hills fault.
A tsunami occurs when a large body of water such as an ocean or sea experiences displacement that causes a long wavelength wave of water to reach the shore. In 1964 12 people were killed when a tsunami struck the coast of california after a magnitude 92 earthquake hit alaska. Tsunamis capable of producing damage at great distances are rare in the magnitude range.