Earthquake in California/Tsunami in China?

[<AvA>Big Jim]

G'day everybody,
I am in the process of writing a novel in which an earthquake measuring 9.6 on the Richter scale strikes California: ie "The Big Cliche." I have an American character living on the shore of China, south of Shanghai, who fortune favors because of this to the tune of some $250,000. Of course he's pleased; though maybe not so, as an earthquake of such magnitude would send a tsunami across the Pacific in his direction. If you are able to answer the following two questions I would be grateful: 1. How long would the tsunami take to reach China and what size would it be? 2. It strikes me that "the largest earthquake ever recorded" is excessive. How large would a seismic event in California have to be to create a noticeable but not dangerous tsunami to hit the coast of China? Imagine a fellow who has recently come into $250,000 down at the beach contemplating the turn of events (there are positive and negative repercussions) when the sea surges around his ankles and washes away again.
If you can't help me, might you suggest where I could go to find this out?
Thanks for your time,
James Aitken.

 

[anart]

Hi James - this link might help - http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/world/events/1960_05_22.php . It is for the 9.5 quake that occurred in Chile in 1977 - there is a tsunami link. The tsunami resource center has maps and forecasts that should help.

Interestingly enough, I noticed that 8 of the top 13 largest magnitude earthquakes ever recorded occurred in 1977 - that's a LOT of enormous earthquakes - from 8.5 to 9.5 magnitude - in one year.

 

[<AvA>Big Jim]

Thanks anart, some good info there. Looks like I'll have to downgrade my quake, as the 9.5 (sometimes 9.6) Chilean earthquake of 1960 caused ten foot waves in Japan 22 hours after the event. A good diagram at the link gives me an accurate timeframe (twenty-three or four hours). Might help me to make it more realistic anyway, as predictions for "The Big Cliche" are usually around 7.9. Thanks again, just the kind of help I need!

 

[Anders]

Having just read the book by Mike Baillie called "New light on the Black death", Baillie mentions that in the past many Tsunami causing events which have previously been attributed to earthquakes, very likely were cometary impacts as a number of the tsunami events of the past coincide with sightings of cometary impacts.