New Report on California Tsunamis

CNN cites a new report by the California Seismic Safety Commission on the effects of tsunamis on the California coast. Here is an interesting paragraph:

The Cascadia subduction zone will produce the State’s largest tsunami. The Cascadia subduction zone is similar to the Alaska- Aleutian trench that generated the magnitude 9.2 1964 Alaska eaatrrthquake and the Sunda trench in Indonesia that produced the magnitude 9.3 December 2004 Suma earthquake. Native American accounts of past Cascadia earthquakes suggest tsunami wave heights on the order of 60 feet, comparable to water levels in Aceh Province Indonesia. Water heights in Japan produced by the 1700 Cascadia earthquake were over 15 feet, comparable to tsunami heights observed on the African coast after the Sumatra earthquake.

Supreme Court and Sonar

This is getting interesting.

The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide if the Navy is doing enough to protect whales from the effects of its sonar testing.

Environmentalists successfully sued the Pentagon over the practice in March, forcing major changes in the Navy's annual offshore training exercises.

A federal judge ruled it was "constitutionally suspect" for President Bush to issue a national security exemption so no environmental impact assessment was carried out.

One of the environmental organizations that sued the Defense Department said it had expected the Supreme Court decision and was ready to fight on.