Recent computer models indicate that the cities of Ventura and Oxnard in California could be at significant risk from a tsunami caused by a large earthquake on the nearby Santa Barbara Fault. The models, developed by researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, show that a magnitude 7.2 quake on the fault could generate waves up to 10 feet (3 meters) high that would reach the coastline within five minutes. The study found that large areas of the Ventura and Oxnard waterfronts, as well as the Channel Islands, could be impacted. The risk of major damage and loss of life is heightened by the fact that much of the infrastructure and population in these areas is located close to the shoreline.