Native Tales Hint at West Coast Tsunamis

[Madame Butterfly 0]

Native tales hint at past West Coast tsunamis

Stories, geological clues point to massive quakes, giant waves

 

 

Updated: 8:38 a.m. ET July 12, 2005

SEATTLE - Tales about "Thunderbird" and "Whale" by native tribes along the U.S. West Coast, along with geological clues, point to at least two massive quakes and tsunamis that have hit the area in the last 1,100 years, a researcher said on Monday.

 

"Native people here were well aware that earthquakes happened and that is reflected in their oral traditions," said Ruth Ludwin, a University of Washington researcher who recently published two papers detailing such folklore.

 

In one tale, the mythical wind creature "Thunderbird" drives its talons into "Whale's" back and is dragged to the bottom of the ocean, which she said could be interpreted as a tsunami-like event.

 

 

 

The stories were collected from native tribes in northern California, Oregon, Washington and just south of Canada's Vancouver Island.

 

Ludwin, who collaborated with seismologists, said she began looking into the region's "geomythology" six years ago because of the lack of such data, which can be found in other areas such as Japan and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

 

In December, a 9.15 magnitude earthquake erupted off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island. The quake, the strongest in 40 years, sent walls of water as high as 33 feet barreling into 13 Indian Ocean nations and killed 160,000 people.

 

Last month, a major 7.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast of northern California triggered tsunami alerts along most of the U.S. West Coast. The alarm was quickly called off and there were no casualties or damage.

 

The Cascadia subduction zone, which generates much of the seismic activity in the Pacific Northwest, had at least seven major earthquakes in the last 3,500 years, according to researchers.

 

One massive earthquake is estimated to have hit the region in 900, while eyewitness accounts from the 19th century point to a huge earthquake and tsunami that hit the area in 1700.

[Capt_Picard 0]

I heard about this... the earthquake was cased by the moving of the North American over the Juan Da Fuca. The wierd thing about it is that the whole east side of the Juan Da Fuca is locked and when released the quake travels along the whole plate. The quake could late up to 5 mins and be around 9.3.

[Wishfire 2]

while eyewitness accounts from the 19th century point to a huge earthquake and tsunami that hit the area in 1700.

 

How can there be eyewitness accounts from the 19th century (1800's) of something that happened in 1700?

[HRH The KING 0]

How can there be eyewitness accounts from the 19th century (1800's) of something that happened in 1700?

 

They could have witnessed the damage it caused which presumably was still visible over a century later.

[Wishfire 2]

How can there be eyewitness accounts from the 19th century (1800's) of something that happened in 1700?

 

They could have witnessed the damage it caused which presumably was still visible over a century later.

339874[/snapback]

 

Well, I guess it depends on what part of the 19th century... It might be possible if it was the early 19th century. I say this because in my home-town, there's still evidence along the coast of a massive hurricane from the 1930's. Of course, the evidence is nothing more than a couple concrete support structures from old mansions that stick up here and there out of the dunes, and a single foundation. That's after 70 years. I think it's fair to say that 150 to 199 years later it would be much more difficult to find evidence.