A massive earthquake in the Pacific Northwest could quickly change the coastal areas from Northern California to Washington, causing land to sink rapidly, "sharply" raising sea levels and increasing flood risk to communities.

According to a new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study examines the potential impact of “big people,” a powerful earthquake that stretched from Canada to California along the Cascadia fault.

The region has long been prepared for the incident that will release a major tsunami, cause widespread damage and potentially kill thousands of people.

This study was studied. The study points out that the possibility of earthquakes in the faults in the next 50 years is greater than magnitude 8.0.

"The expansion of coastal floodplain has not been quantified after the Cascadia subduction zone earthquake, and the impact of land use may significantly increase the timeline for recovery," said Tina Dura, the study's lead author.

Although climate-driven sea level rises gradually occur, these changes will happen immediately and continue for decades to centuries, Dura and other authors of the study wrote. The most important impact will occur in the "densely populated" areas of southern Washington, northern Oregon and Northern California. And, if the next major earthquake occurs in 2100 - by then there is a 29% chance of greater than magnitude 8.0 - some "low-lying" areas along the fault may never recover as climate-driven sea levels rise.

The authors wrote that they hope these findings can support policy makers and coastal communities to better prepare for the harm caused by earthquakes and climate-driven sea level rise.

“Preparing for these compound hazards can minimize long-term damage, ensure resilient communities, and protect critical coastal ecosystems from permanent degradation,” the authors wrote.

The last major earthquake along the Cascadia subduction zone occurred in 1700, suddenly increased sea level rises in minutes and created a huge tsunami that destroyed the seashore settlements and created the impact that has so far been Japan.

Recent research shows that a magnitude 9.0 earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone could kill more than 30,000 people, and 170,000 people were damaged or damaged in coastal areas, with an economic impact of more than $8.1 billion. A 2022 study found that a tsunami caused by a major earthquake could exceed 200 feet.