For an uncomfortable couple of hours on Monday, 19 October—following a magnitude 7.5 earthquake off the coast of Alaska—British Columbia coastal communities held their breath awaiting confirmation of a possible tsunami. Fortunately, the strike-slip earthquake caused little damage and the resulting wave was minimal, but the episode served as a poignant reminder of the need to prepare for tsunamis.

Figure 1. One of thousands of sensors connected to Ocean Networks Canada’s internet-connected ocean observatory, this bottom pressure recorder gathers continuous real-time data about wave height and volume (depth 2195 metres).
Ocean Networks Canada...
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