NPR & PBS for South Texas
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Next Big Earthquake Could Sink Parts of the Pacific Northwest

Season 52 | 5m 08s

A 2025 study suggests that when the next "Big One" hits, coastal land could sink by up to 6 feet. That sudden drop could instantly double the number of people, homes, and roads exposed to flooding.

National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Carlisle Companies and Viking Cruises. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.
Extras
On Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, turtles and jaguars collide in unexpected ways.
Uncover the secret world of New York and London’s resilient pigeon flocks.
Who rules the streets -- and skies -- of the city?
Discover how pigeons find a mate for life.
Times Square never shuts down, and neither do its pigeons.
Follow a female mountain lion in the Montana mountains over the course of a decade.
Find out why deadly flash floods are on the rise and how we can protect ourselves from them.
A mother mountain lion risks her life to feed her six kittens.
Mountain lions risk everything to hunt elk, prey more than twice their size.
How data center power demand could help lower electricity prices
Latest Episodes
Find out why deadly flash floods are on the rise and how we can protect ourselves from them.
Explore mysterious 9,000-year-old Stone Age megastructures found in the Arabian Desert.
Discover how two revolutionary ancient inventions changed the course of humanity forever.
Follow ancient humans’ journey into an icy and perilous new land.
Discover how Homo sapiens outlasted Neanderthals – and how they helped make us who we are today.
Follow Homo sapiens as they venture out of Africa and spread farther than any other human species.
Trace the remarkable origin story of Homo sapiens and the crucial moments that shaped our species.
Archaeological discoveries reveal traces of ancient civilizations in the Amazon.
Meet one of the ocean’s most beautiful and destructive species: Lionfish.
Discover the science behind Leonardo da Vinci's masterpieces—and Mona Lisa's iconic smile.