9-magnitude earthquake could strike US, trigger 100-ft tall tsunamis: Study

An underwater fault line along the US West Coast could trigger an earthquake of magnitude 9.0, a new study suggests. Using underwater mapping techniques, scientists have mapped the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a 600-mile fault line extending from southern Canada to northern California. If the fault ruptured, it could last roughly five minutes and generate tsunamis reaching 100 feet tall.