Posted on 04/01/2007 3:30:16 PM PDT by naturalman1975
A TSUNAMI alert has been issued for parts of the Pacific - including Australia - after a strong earthquake near the Solomon Islands.
The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.8, jolted the South Pacific Ocean at 6.40am (AEST).
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has issued a tsunami warning for Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Nauru, Chuuk, New Caledonia, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Australia, Indonesia, Tuvalu, Kiribati, and Marshall Island.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology's National Meteorological and Oceanographic Centre said Queensland's Barrier Reef Islands and Willis Island in the Coral Sea could be affected.
Any tsunami could hit Willis Island at 8.30am and Cooktown in far north Queensland about 9.30am.
People have been warned to move out of the water and away from low lying foreshore areas and then listen for further advice from state emergency service authorities.
(Excerpt) Read more at theaustralian.news.com.au ...
This is pretty big.
Seems like this should be in the "Breaking News" sidebar, at least until we know more about it.
Heads up, Mates!
If there is a tsunami, it will probably hit mainland Australia in about an hour. Willis Island, about now. Don't know about the other Pacific Islands.
Australia will be pretty lucky in that the location means the Great Barrier Reef would provide significant protection to our coast. But the Barrier Reef islands could be in trouble - and school holidays have started across much of Australia, so tourist destinations are full.
Please keep us informed and stay safe!
I'm well outside the danger zone so I'll be OK. But I'm monitoring it.
TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 003
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 2239Z 01 APR 2007
THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE PACIFIC BASIN EXCEPT
ALASKA - BRITISH COLUMBIA - WASHINGTON - OREGON - CALIFORNIA.
NOTE: AREAS TO THE NORTH OF THE SOLOMON ISLANDS SHOULD NOT BE SIGNIFICANTLY
AFFECTED
... A TSUNAMI WARNING AND WATCH REMAIN IN EFFECT ...
A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR
SOLOMON IS. / PAPUA NEW GUINEA / VANUATU / NEW CALEDONIA / NORTHEASTERN
AUSTRALIA / TUVALU / KIRIBATI / FIJI /
A TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR
KERMADEC IS / NEW ZEALAND /
FOR ALL OTHER PACIFIC AREAS, THIS MESSAGE IS AN ADVISORY ONLY.
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
ORIGIN TIME - 2040Z 01 APR 2007
COORDINATES - 8.6 SOUTH 157.2 EAST
LOCATION - SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAGNITUDE - 8.1
MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY
HONIARA 15CM ZERO-TO-PEAK OBSERVED AT 21:37 GMT
EVALUATION
SEA LEVEL READINGS INDICATE A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED. IT MAY HAVE
BEEN DESTRUCTIVE ALONG COASTS NEAR THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER AND
COULD ALSO BE A THREAT TO MORE DISTANT COASTS. AUTHORITIES SHOULD
TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSSIBILITY. THIS
CENTER WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR SEA LEVEL DATA TO DETERMINE THE
EXTENT AND SEVERITY OF THE THREAT.
FOR ALL AREAS - WHEN NO MAJOR WAVES ARE OBSERVED FOR TWO HOURS
AFTER THE ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL OR DAMAGING WAVES HAVE NOT
OCCURRED FOR AT LEAST TWO HOURS THEN LOCAL AUTHORITIES CAN ASSUME
THE THREAT IS PASSED. DANGER TO BOATS AND COASTAL STRUCTURES CAN
CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS DUE TO RAPID CURRENTS. AS LOCAL
CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE A WIDE VARIATION IN TSUNAMI WAVE ACTION THE
ALL CLEAR DETERMINATION MUST BE MADE BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES.
ESTIMATED INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES. ACTUAL ARRIVAL TIMES
MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE LARGEST. THE TIME
BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE TSUNAMI WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.
LOCATION COORDINATES ARRIVAL TIME
BULLETINS WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.
THE TSUNAMI WARNING AND WATCH WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL
FURTHER NOTICE.
THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY MAY ALSO ISSUE TSUNAMI MESSAGES
FOR THIS EVENT TO COUNTRIES IN THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC AND SOUTH
CHINA SEA REGION. IN CASE OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION... THE
MORE CONSERVATIVE INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED FOR SAFETY.
THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE BULLETINS
FOR ALASKA - BRITISH COLUMBIA - WASHINGTON - OREGON - CALIFORNIA.
http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/messages/pacific/2007/pacific.2007.04.01.222651.txt
Tsunami Advisory for Hawaii cancelled:
http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/messages/hawaii/2007/hawaii.2007.04.01.224102.txt
That's a huge quake.
Bears watching for sure.
That's a huge quake.
Bears watching for sure.
--
FoR sure
BumP
Very good--do they have evacuation plans in place there?
Fox radio news is reporting the solomon islands are getting hit with tsunami - no reports of damage yet.
Fortunately, the target area is in the cyclone belt - such areas are generally far better equipped to deal with natural disasters than the rest of Australia. And in many ways, a tsunami has similar characteristics to a cyclone - seawater infiltration inland.
People will have some idea what to do and there are plans.
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Tsunami hits South Pacific's Solomons
HONIARA, Solomon Islands - A tsunami several yards high hit a western town, officials said Monday, after a powerful magnitude-7.6 earthquake struck off the coast of this South Pacific nation.
A tsunami warning was issued for other South Pacific states and a lower-level alarm for Hawaii.
An official at a seismology center points to earthquake readings. A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 struck in the Solomon Islands Monday, prompting the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre to issue a tsunami warning.(AFP/File/Patrick Lin)
Glad you're not in danger!
Good to know. I'm in hurricane land, but at least we know when one is coming ahead of time.
Hope everyone is OK?
Surf UP NM
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