Shock Wave

Watch: CBC DocZone: Shock Wave on CBC.ca

Earthquakes, like the one that caused the Indian Ocean disaster of December 26, 2004, tend to repeat themselves. The waves they generate can circle the globe with devastating consequences. Recently, scientists discovered that the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the west coast of North America has ruptured at least 37 times in the past 10,000 years and it will rupture again...but when? The crack in the ocean floor from Cape Mendocino, California to central Vancouver Island is nearly identical to the subduction zone that ruptured off Sumatra, which led to the tsunami that killed approximately 230,000 people. The Pacific Northwest can expect a nearly identical earthquake. Five major cities (Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, Portland and Sacramento) plus hundreds of small towns along a thousand kilometres of coastline will be heavily damaged. The first tsunami waves will hit the beach twenty minutes later. But Shock Wave is not just another "doomsday flick." It's the story of people on the front lines of science, engineering and emergency planning who, along with thousands of volunteers, are finding ways to help our communities survive the next rupture.

source: cbc.ca (http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2009/shockwave/)