More than 300 years ago, the Juan de Fuca plate beneath the ocean in the Pacific Northwest region slipped 60 feet eastwards and cause a major earthquake near the magnitude 9 level. This caused major tsunamis to strike the coast of North America and the repercussions of which were felt as far as the shores of Japan.

To help anticipate such a disastrous scenario, scientists from the San Diego State University (SDSU) have tried to simulate such so called "megathrust events" with the use of a virtual simulation powered by the San Diego Supercomputer Center's (SDSC) DataStar supercomputer.

Taking information from the recent Sumatra-Andeman earthquake in Indonesia, the researchers are looking to simulate any future similar disasters in the Pacific Northwest region to help coordinate any damage control action from the fallout brought about by the possible event.

Suffice to say, the amount of damage simulated by the magnitude 9 earthquake predicted by the supercomputer was tremendous. While it did take a long time just to compute the amount of data the entire region encompasses, the results of the study could mean a lot of saved lives in the end.

The researchers are also planning to conduct studies which will examine the range of impacts depending on where the earthquake starts, the direction of travel of the rupture along the fault, and other factors that can vary from the event.