Year of Award

2026

Document Type

Professional Paper

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism

Department or School/College

School of Journalism

Committee Chair

Lisa Krantz

Commitee Members

Chris Johns, Jule Banville, Marc Hendrix

Keywords

Tsunami, Cascadia, subduction zone, earthquake, Oregon, Washington, coastal hazards, geology, disaster, photography, photojournalism, Cascadia Subduction Zone

Abstract

Around 9:00pm on January 26th, 1700, a magnitude 9.0 megathrust earthquake off the coast of Oregon sent massive tsunami waves barreling towards the shore, drowning forests and destroying villages. Oral history preserved by the tribes of the Pacific Northwest describes canoes hanging from the tops of trees and people being swept out to sea. Geologists from the USGS, Oregon State University, and the University of Washington have shown that an event similar to the one that happened in 1700 has occurred every 300-500 years for the last ten thousand years. The Cascadia Subduction Zone, a massive fault line running from Northern California to Vancouver, BC will rupture again, likely causing a megaquake and tsunami which could cause irreparable damage to coastal communities all along the coast of the Pacific Northwest. While no one can predict exactly when the next Big One will occur, experts agree that we are within the window for another major disaster and that the fault poses an imminent risk to coastal communities in the Pacific Northwest.

This photo essay is a new way of understanding the impact of a Cascadia disaster. By prioritizing the people who could be directly impacted, these images highlight the vulnerability of coastal communities, their relationship with the ocean, and some of the ways in which humans are preparing for a large-scale disaster which, experts say, could come at any time.

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Available for download on Saturday, June 16, 2029

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© Copyright 2026 Owen Madoc Preece