- 7 weeks ago
The worst-case disaster scenario in the US just crossed a new line, and scientists didn’t expect this twist. New data shows multiple risks stacking on top of each other, not happening alone like before. We’re talking earthquakes, floods, power failures, and chain reactions that make recovery way harder. This video breaks down what changed, why experts are more worried now, and what areas are most exposed. Don’t miss this video if you want to understand how bad “worst case” can really get. Animation is created by Bright Side.
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This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
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Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/
Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV
Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz
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For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me
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This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
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FunTranscript
00:00There is a powerful force hiding underground, where tectonic plates meet, and one forces another under it.
00:09This happens in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
00:12Strain builds over centuries.
00:14The tension is unbearable, until the megathrust awakens.
00:19The Earth shakes with a magnitude that can exceed 9 points, more powerful than any other earthquake.
00:25When the seafloor suddenly gets pushed up fast, it sends a huge ripple across the water, and a tsunami of huge force is out.
00:34These waves are called teletsunamis, and they cross entire ocean basins, ready to take over coastlines thousands of miles away.
00:42The thrust fall stretches over 600 miles.
00:46The Earth is not just shaking, it feels like it's tearing apart.
00:50This is the power of a megathrust earthquake.
00:53Those caught in its path will have to fight for their lives.
00:58Japanese authorities recently had to issue their first-ever megaquake advisory.
01:03It happened because of a strong tremor on the edge of the Nankai Trough ocean floor zone.
01:09In the end, most of the warnings were lifted, and there wasn't much damage from the 7.1 magnitude earthquake.
01:16Parts of southwestern Japan started to shake, and the super-fast trains in Japan slowed down to stay safe,
01:22which made travel slower for everyone.
01:25But everyone is staying alert as they know about the risk of a megathrust earthquake
01:29that could happen within the next few decades in the Nankai Trough.
01:33The tectonic plate under the Philippine Sea is slowly sliding underneath the land where Japan is,
01:40moving just a few inches every year.
01:42The last big earthquakes from this area happened in 1944 and 1946, both with a magnitude of 8.1.
01:51These quakes have caused a lot of destruction in the country.
01:54The next megathrust earthquake in the region, if it does happen, could be between a magnitude 8 and 9.
02:01Scientists still can't agree on how likely this mega-earthquake is to happen,
02:05but it could be up to 80% certainty.
02:11On the other side of the Pacific, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey have studied a dangerous area along the U.S. West Coast.
02:20It's called the Cascadia Subduction Zone,
02:22and it stretches from northern California to northern Vancouver Island in Canada.
02:28Over the past 14,200 years, there have likely been at least 30 big earthquakes in this region.
02:34One major quake happens every 500 years on average.
02:38But for a long time now, Cascadia has been quiet, and it worries scientists.
02:43They think this might be because the area is locked,
02:47meaning the tectonic plates are stuck together and building up a lot of pressure.
02:51Eventually, the part of the seafloor could suddenly break and move by several feet.
02:56The shaking would be just five minutes,
02:59but it would create a powerful tsunami as the seafloor shifts that would last for 10 hours.
03:05If it happens, it's going to be the worst natural disaster in the country's history, according to experts.
03:11The ground on some inland hills could turn into something like quicksand.
03:15This would cause the hillsides to slide and crumble, taking down roads and bridges.
03:20Around 620,000 buildings could be badly damaged or even collapse,
03:26including about 100 hospitals and 2,000 schools.
03:30People in Washington state might have to take care of themselves without help for two weeks,
03:34finding food, water, and shelter on their own.
03:37Scientists are studying slow-slip events,
03:43where the tectonic plates move very slowly over weeks or months,
03:47releasing some energy, but not enough to stop a big one.
03:51Every time the magnitude of an earthquake goes up by just one number,
03:55the energy it releases is 40 times bigger.
03:58So we'd need about a million small earthquakes every day for 500 years straight
04:03to release the same energy as one huge magnitude 9 earthquake.
04:08But these small earthquakes might be clues that a bigger earthquake is coming.
04:13To better monitor the Cascadia fault,
04:16experts are mapping the fault more accurately and adding better monitoring tools offshore.
04:21Scientists receive over $10 million to install seismic sensors and seafloor pressure gauges
04:27on a fiber-optic cable off the coast of Oregon.
04:30The goal is to be ready to warn people and potentially save lives when a big earthquake strikes.
04:40A sharp megathrust earthquake happened in this part of the world in 1964.
04:45It went down in history as the Great Alaska Earthquake and had a magnitude of 9.2.
04:51It lasted for more than four minutes,
04:54making it the most powerful earthquake in the history of the U.S. and North America.
04:58The ground shook so hard that it caused huge cracks and landslides.
05:04In Anchorage, many houses, buildings, and roads were destroyed
05:07because they weren't built to handle such a big earthquake.
05:10In some places, the land was permanently changed.
05:14For example, the coastline near Kodiak and Henschenbrook Island was lifted by 30 feet.
05:20In other areas, like Gurwood and Portage, the ground sank by 8 feet.
05:24They had to rebuild roads higher so they wouldn't be flooded by the time.
05:30A huge 27-foot tsunami wiped out the entire village of Chenega.
05:34Many coastal towns were heavily damaged, not just by the earthquake,
05:38but also by tsunamis and the fires that followed.
05:42After the main earthquake, there were thousands of smaller aftershocks for months.
05:46A moderate earthquake of magnitude 4.4 shook Los Angeles in August 2024.
05:55Once it was over, the L.A. Fire Department checked around the city
05:59and didn't find any major damage or anyone hurt.
06:02In the nearby city of Pasadena, which is close to the earthquake's epicenter,
06:07a water pipe burst inside City Hall and everyone had to leave the building.
06:11Thankfully, there was no danger of a tsunami.
06:13The best we can do to avoid panic in such situations is to be prepared.
06:20Japan is one of the places on Earth where earthquakes happen the most
06:24because it sits on the edges of four tectonic plates.
06:28Around 1,500 of these earthquakes each year are noticeable.
06:33Because of this, the people in Japan have learned to live with earthquakes.
06:37The 1950 law set a rule that buildings should be able to handle earthquakes
06:42up to a magnitude 7 without falling apart.
06:45An update 30 years later said that buildings should only have minor damage in such earthquakes
06:51and still work as usual.
06:53But if an earthquake is even stronger,
06:55the law says the building's main job is to not collapse and save people's lives.
07:00At the most basic level, buildings are made stronger with thicker beams, pillars, and walls
07:06so they can handle shaking better.
07:08Another technique is placing special pads made from materials like rubber at the base of a building.
07:14Some buildings are even built on thick layers of padding
07:17that separate them from the ground completely,
07:19which helps protect them during an earthquake.
07:21A skyscraper might sway back and forth a lot, moving up to 5 feet.
07:27To stop it from getting damaged,
07:29engineers can add something called dampers every second floor all the way to the top.
07:35These dampers are like giant bicycle pumps,
07:37but instead of air, they're filled with liquid.
07:40When the building shakes, the dampers push against the liquid inside them.
07:44Even though the liquid doesn't squish very much,
07:47it can still absorb some of the shaking.
07:51When they're building tall skyscrapers,
07:54engineers try to make the structure as simple and balanced as possible.
07:58This means having each floor the same height and placing the support columns evenly.
08:04But sometimes, architects who design skyscrapers don't want to make these compromises
08:08because they have creative ideas for how the building should look.
08:12Then, they have to find compromise solutions.
08:15For example, Tokyo's Skytree Tower,
08:19one of the tallest buildings in the world,
08:20is designed in a futuristic style,
08:23but also includes special features to protect it from earthquakes.
08:27It has a central pillar, like in traditional Japanese pagodas,
08:31and seismic dampers that help absorb the energy from an earthquake,
08:35keeping the building safe.
08:36Not an earthquake, but a mega-earthquake could happen in Japan.
08:44It's scarier, bigger, and more destructive than ordinary tremors.
08:48However, the problem is that it will occur underwater,
08:51which means it will trigger a giant tsunami 100 feet high.
08:55A column of water nearly as high as a 10-story building will collapse on coastal cities,
09:02wiping out hundreds of houses.
09:04The water flow can destroy everything in its path,
09:07like a bowling ball that knocks down pins.
09:10And then another wave may come.
09:12And another one.
09:14Anyone who is at risk should be on their guard.
09:16How to survive?
09:18You'll find out later in this video.
09:20But first, let's find out what a mega-earthquake is.
09:26This is an earthquake with a magnitude 9 or more.
09:30This is a very rare phenomenon,
09:32and it depends not on the power of the shock,
09:34but on the length of the fault where it occurs.
09:37The longer the fault, the stronger the earthquake.
09:40But what are these faults?
09:42These are cracks in the rocks of the Earth's crust that move relative to each other.
09:48Imagine a large puzzle where every detail is a giant tectonic plate.
09:53When one part of the puzzle moves away from another or when they collide,
09:57that's when earthquakes begin.
09:59If the fault between the parts is long,
10:01then the magnitude of the earthquake is great.
10:04The largest mega-earthquake ever recorded
10:07occurred on May 22, 1960,
10:10in Chile.
10:11The fault was almost 1,000 miles long.
10:15It's almost half the way between Chicago and Los Angeles.
10:18And now, a similar mega-earthquake can happen,
10:22underwater.
10:25That's how it all started.
10:27Last year, on August 8th,
10:28at 4.42pm,
10:30an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1
10:33occurred in southern Japan.
10:36The tremors appeared off the coast of the mainland island of Kyushu.
10:39Everyone was terrified as they expected a large tsunami to appear.
10:44But, fortunately, they faced only a small wave.
10:47It collapsed on the shore, but didn't destroy buildings.
10:51About 15 people got hurt, which is sad, of course.
10:54But it could have been worse.
10:56It seemed that the disaster had passed.
10:58The residents breathed a sigh of relief.
11:01However, after that,
11:03the Japan Meteorological Agency sent a warning
11:06about a possible mega-earthquake
11:07that could be incredibly devastating.
11:10A previous earthquake of 7.1 magnitude
11:13could be a harbinger of an impending catastrophe.
11:17A disaster that could affect a quarter of a million people.
11:21As soon as people heard this,
11:22they ran to buy groceries.
11:24Increased demand and a slight panic
11:25led to shortages of rice
11:27and several other basic products.
11:30People were stocking up on food
11:31and preparing for the worst.
11:32But, a week later,
11:35the Japan Meteorological Agency
11:36canceled the warning.
11:38It turned out that the small tsunami
11:40on Kyushu Island
11:41was not a harbinger.
11:45No one knows whether a mega-earthquake
11:47and tsunami will happen in this region.
11:49But the chances are very high.
11:52To understand the nature of this danger,
11:53we need to dive underwater
11:55in a place called the Nankai Trough.
11:57It is a 500-mile-long underwater fault
12:01that runs almost parallel
12:03to the Pacific coast of Japan.
12:05This is where the two giant sections
12:07of the Earth's crust meet,
12:09the Philippine Sea Plate
12:10and the Eurasian Plate.
12:11And the Philippine Plate is subducting
12:13and slowly slipping under the Eurasian Plate,
12:16on which Japan is partly located.
12:20During this movement,
12:21the plates get stuck,
12:22accumulating energy.
12:24Afterward, when they move and align again,
12:26they release a powerful burst of energy.
12:29And this energy is capable of causing
12:31one of the most powerful earthquakes
12:33in the world.
12:34Experts report that the probability
12:35of a mega-earthquake and a tsunami
12:37is about 80%.
12:39Over the past 1,400 years,
12:43mega-earthquakes have occurred
12:45every 100 to 200 years in this region.
12:48The last time this happened in Japan
12:50was in 1946.
12:52The entire country felt a powerful tremor
12:54that destroyed 36,000 houses
12:56in the southern part of Honshu Island.
12:59Every year,
13:00the probability of a repeat of this disaster
13:02increases by 1%.
13:04And do you know how many years have passed?
13:0779!
13:09According to experts,
13:10a mega-earthquake with a magnitude of 8 to 9
13:13can trigger a tsunami
13:14that will flood small islands
13:16off the coast of Japan.
13:17And areas with large populations
13:19on the islands of Honshu and Shikoshu
13:22can be flooded in minutes.
13:24Hundreds of thousands of people are at risk.
13:27It can be billions
13:27and even trillions of dollars worth of damage.
13:31According to some reports,
13:32about 530,000 people may lose their homes.
13:36To save lives,
13:37the country needs to carry out
13:38a large-scale evacuation.
13:40But the problem is that
13:41no one knows the exact date.
13:44In general,
13:45no one in the world can predict in advance
13:47when the next big earthquake will occur.
13:50In the case of the Nankai Trough,
13:52it can happen in a few days
13:53or a few years
13:55or even centuries.
13:56So,
13:57what should people do?
13:58Prepare.
14:01Japan has been experiencing earthquakes
14:03for a long time.
14:05So, the country has learned
14:06to survive a disaster
14:07with minimal losses.
14:08Almost every building in Japan
14:10is equipped with dampers,
14:11which are devices
14:12that suppress any vibrations
14:14and make houses
14:15more resistant to shaking.
14:17In addition,
14:18on the shores of Japan,
14:20residents have built
14:20long and high shields
14:22that don't allow powerful waves
14:24to break through to land.
14:26Japan also has
14:28an advanced earthquake warning system.
14:30It's impossible to predict
14:31powerful seismic activity
14:33in a few days or weeks,
14:35but it's possible to detect
14:36small tremors
14:37that may portend
14:38an impending earthquake.
14:41Special devices monitor
14:42seismic signals
14:43and transmit the data
14:44to certain programs.
14:46Then,
14:46they evaluate the magnitude
14:48and intensity of the tremors
14:49and send warnings
14:50to people's phones.
14:52This can save seconds
14:53and even minutes
14:54for locals to reach
14:55the nearest shelter in time.
14:58These systems are also used
14:59to slow down the speed of trains
15:01to stop work at factories,
15:03hospitals,
15:03and office buildings.
15:04It's much safer
15:05for a train driver
15:06to slow down
15:07during an earthquake
15:08than to rush forward
15:09at full speed.
15:10But what if you're on the street
15:12and you can't hear
15:13your phone messages?
15:14How to act
15:15in case of disaster?
15:17This applies
15:17not only to Japan,
15:19but also to any place
15:21where a tsunami
15:21or earthquake may occur.
15:24To survive a tsunami,
15:26you need to prepare for it
15:28long before a big wave hits.
15:30It's very important
15:31to have good relations
15:32with neighbors,
15:33be friendly with them,
15:34help them,
15:35and treat them well.
15:36In times of trouble
15:37or disaster,
15:38it's great to have people
15:39with whom you have
15:40a good relationship.
15:41They can help you get out
15:42of a difficult situation,
15:44and you can also help them.
15:46Be kind
15:46and compassionate to people.
15:48This way,
15:49it's much easier
15:50to survive any disaster.
15:52Prepare a backpack
15:53with necessities in advance.
15:55These are a first aid kit,
15:57canned food,
15:58flashlights,
15:59a battery-powered radio,
16:00and bottled water.
16:01All this will not only
16:03save your life,
16:03but will also help
16:04other people in trouble.
16:06So if you feel
16:07an earthquake start,
16:08immediately run for cover.
16:11If you're at home,
16:12try to stand against a wall
16:13closest to the center
16:14of the building
16:14or crawl under heavy furniture
16:16that stands firmly
16:17on the floor,
16:18such as a desk
16:19or a regular table.
16:21Stay away from windows
16:23and front doors
16:23and never use an elevator.
16:26If you're on the street,
16:28don't come close to power lines
16:29and any objects
16:30that may fall.
16:32During a tsunami,
16:33you may need to get
16:33as high as possible
16:34to avoid getting swallowed
16:36by water.
16:37Stay as far away
16:38from the shore as you can
16:40and don't go down
16:41until you're sure it's safe.
16:45But how can you find out
16:47about an approaching wave
16:48if you haven't received
16:49the warning?
16:51When a tsunami
16:51approaches the shore,
16:53you will hear a roar
16:54similar to the rumble
16:55of a passing train
16:56or plane.
16:57If there's no elevation nearby,
16:59then try to get
17:00to the upper floors.
17:01It must be at least
17:02the third floor,
17:03but it has to be a building
17:04that can resist a tsunami,
17:06such as a massive house
17:07made of concrete.
17:09If there are no such
17:10high buildings nearby,
17:11try to climb
17:12a massive tree.
17:14When the disaster is over,
17:15look around
17:16and find those you can help.
17:18Listen to messages
17:19from rescuers
17:20via radio or TV.
17:22If all is well,
17:23then you can deal
17:24with the consequences.
17:26Yes, there's a lot
17:27of work ahead,
17:27but you've survived
17:28and helped others survive.
17:30And that's the most
17:31important thing.
17:36That's it for today.
17:37So hey,
17:37if you pacified
17:38your curiosity,
17:39then give the video a like
17:40and share it with your friends.
17:42Or if you want more,
17:43just click on these videos
17:44and stay on the bright side.
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