This site summarizes ongoing research on the tsunami history and hazards in Washington State. This work includes the study of the sedimentology of tsunami deposits, radiocarbon dating/modeling tsunami events, tsunami simulations, and the identification of tsunami sources. This work includes collaborations with students, Federal, state, and other agencies; and outreach.
The tidal marsh at Discovery Bay has Washington’s longest record of tsunami deposits. View to the north at low tide. Inset shows the two youngest deposits. Meter stick with 10 cm increments. The youngest (top) is inferred to be from the 1700 CE Cascadia earthquake. The second dates to about 600 yr bp, and is hypothesized to be from the penultimate Cascadia earthquake.