Tsunami Warning Pacific NZ E.Coast Australia!

[Michaelangelica]

Death toll reaches 78 in Chilean quake as scientists issue tsunami warning
At least 78 people have died and large parts of South America have been put on tsunami alert after one of the biggest earthquakes in modern times struck southern Chile.


By Fiona Govan, in Madrid, and David Barrett
Published: 11:32AM GMT 27 Feb 2010

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/chile/7330700/Death-toll-reaches-78-in-Chilean-quake-as-scientists-issue-tsunami-warning.html

The Tsunami is expected to hit E Coast Australia (if it happens) at 8.45 Am Sunday morning Australian E. Coast residents are being warned NOT to go to the beach.
http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/messages/pacific/2010/pacific.2010.02.27.124623.jpg

http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/?region=1&id=pacific.2010.02.27.124623


TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 007
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 1249Z 27 FEB 2010

THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO AREAS WITHIN AND BORDERING THE PACIFIC
OCEAN AND ADJACENT SEAS...EXCEPT ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...
WASHINGTON...OREGON AND CALIFORNIA.

... A WIDESPREAD TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT ...

A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR

CHILE / PERU / ECUADOR / COLOMBIA / ANTARCTICA / PANAMA /
COSTA RICA / NICARAGUA / PITCAIRN / HONDURAS / EL SALVADOR /
GUATEMALA / FR. POLYNESIA / MEXICO / COOK ISLANDS / KIRIBATI /
KERMADEC IS / NIUE / NEW ZEALAND / TONGA / AMERICAN SAMOA /
SAMOA / JARVIS IS. / WALLIS-FUTUNA / TOKELAU / FIJI /
AUSTRALIA / HAWAII / PALMYRA IS. / TUVALU / VANUATU /
HOWLAND-BAKER / NEW CALEDONIA / JOHNSTON IS. / SOLOMON IS. /
NAURU / MARSHALL IS. / MIDWAY IS. / KOSRAE / PAPUA NEW GUINEA /
POHNPEI / WAKE IS. / CHUUK / RUSSIA / MARCUS IS. / INDONESIA /
N. MARIANAS / GUAM / YAP / BELAU / JAPAN / PHILIPPINES /
CHINESE TAIPEI

THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ONLY
NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE
DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND
ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

ORIGIN TIME - 0634Z 27 FEB 2010
COORDINATES - 36.1 SOUTH 72.6 WEST
DEPTH - 55 KM
LOCATION - NEAR COAST OF CENTRAL CHILE
MAGNITUDE - 8.8

MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY

GAUGE LOCATION LAT LON TIME AMPL PER
------------------- ----- ------ ----- --------------- -----
EASTER CL 27.2S 109.5W 1160Z 0.44M / 1.4FT 08MIN
ANCUD CL 41.9S 73.8W 0838Z 0.62M / 2.0FT 84MIN
CALLAO LA-PUNTA PE 12.1S 77.2W 1029Z 0.36M / 1.2FT 30MIN
ARICA CL 18.5S 70.3W 1008Z 0.94M / 3.1FT 42MIN
IQUIQUE CL 20.2S 70.1W 0907Z 0.28M / 0.9FT 68MIN
ANTOFAGASTA CL 23.2S 70.4W 0941Z 0.49M / 1.6FT 52MIN
DART LIMA 32412 18.0S 86.4W 0941Z 0.24M / 0.8FT 36MIN
CALDERA CL 27.1S 70.8W 0843Z 0.45M / 1.5FT 20MIN
TALCAHUANO CL 36.7S 73.4W 0653Z 2.34M / 7.7FT 88MIN
COQUIMBO CL 30.0S 71.3W 0852Z 1.32M / 4.3FT 30MIN
CORRAL CL 39.9S 73.4W 0739Z 0.90M / 2.9FT 16MIN
SAN FELIX CL 26.3S 80.1W 0815Z 0.53M / 1.7FT 08MIN
VALPARAISO CL 33.0S 71.6W 0708Z 1.29M / 4.2FT 20MIN

LAT - LATITUDE (N-NORTH, S-SOUTH)
LON - LONGITUDE (E-EAST, W-WEST)
TIME - TIME OF THE MEASUREMENT (Z IS UTC IS GREENWICH TIME)
AMPL - TSUNAMI AMPLITUDE MEASURED RELATIVE TO NORMAL SEA LEVEL.
IT IS ...NOT... CREST-TO-TROUGH WAVE HEIGHT.
VALUES ARE GIVEN IN BOTH METERS(M) AND FEET(FT).
PER - PERIOD OF TIME IN MINUTES(MIN) FROM ONE WAVE TO THE NEXT.

EVALUATION

SEA LEVEL READINGS CONFIRM THAT A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN GENERATED
WHICH COULD CAUSE WIDESPREAD DAMAGE. AUTHORITIES SHOULD TAKE
APPROPRIATE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS THREAT. THIS CENTER WILL
CONTINUE TO MONITOR SEA LEVEL DATA TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT AND
SEVERITY OF THE THREAT.

A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE FIRST WAVE MAY NOT BE THE
LARGEST. TSUNAMI WAVE HEIGHTS CANNOT BE PREDICTED AND CAN VARY
SIGNIFICANTLY ALONG A COAST DUE TO LOCAL EFFECTS. THE TIME FROM
ONE TSUNAMI WAVE TO THE NEXT CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO AN HOUR, AND
THE THREAT CAN CONTINUE FOR MANY HOURS AS MULTIPLE WAVES ARRIVE.

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 AT FORECAST POINTS
WITHIN THE WARNING AND WATCH AREAS ARE GIVEN BELOW. ACTUAL
ARRIVAL TIMES MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE
LARGEST. A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE TIME BETWEEN
SUCCESSIVE WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.

LOCATION FORECAST POINT COORDINATES ARRIVAL TIME
-------------------------------- ------------ ------------
CHILE TALCAHUANO 36.7S 73.1W 0729Z 27 FEB
VALPARAISO 33.0S 71.6W 0739Z 27 FEB
COQUIMBO 29.9S 71.3W 0801Z 27 FEB
C
PITCAIRN PITCAIRN IS. 25.1S 130.1W 1455Z 27 FEB


BULLETINS WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.
THE TSUNAMI WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE PRODUCTS
FOR ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...WASHINGTON...OREGON...CALIFORNIA.
http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/?region=1&id=pacific.2010.02.27.124623

http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/?region=1

http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/images/npacific_map.jpg

[Michaelangelica]

At a reported 8.8 magnitude that puts this earthquake in with the top ten on record

Location Date UTC Magnitude Lat. Long. Reference
1. Chile 1960 05 22 9.5 -38.29 -73.05 Kanamori, 1977
2. Prince William Sound, Alaska 1964 03 28 9.2 61.02 -147.65 Kanamori, 1977
3. Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra 2004 12 26 9.1 3.30 95.78 Park et al., 2005
4. Kamchatka 1952 11 04 9.0 52.76 160.06 Kanamori, 1977
5. Off the Coast of Ecuador 1906 01 31 8.8 1.0 -81.5 Kanamori, 1977
6. Rat Islands, Alaska 1965 02 04 8.7 51.21 178.50 Kanamori, 1977
7. Northern Sumatra, Indonesia 2005 03 28 8.6 2.08 97.01 PDE
8. Assam - Tibet 1950 08 15 8.6 28.5 96.5 Kanamori, 1977
9. Andreanof Islands, Alaska 1957 03 09 8.6 51.56 -175.39 Johnson et al., 1994
10. Southern Sumatra, Indonesia 2007 09 12 8.5 -4.438 101.367 PDE
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/10_largest_world.php
It might be wise to skip going for a swim this Sunday morning.

NZ issues tsunami alert after Chile quake

Posted 3 hours 40 minutes ago (Midnight )

New Zealand has issued a tsunami alert after a huge 8.8 magnitude quake hit off the coast of Chile, sparking a Pacific-wide warning that huge waves may be on the move.

But the waves, which would not reach New Zealand until about 15 hours after the Chilean earthquake struck, were not expected to pack destructive force, the government said.

"The magnitude of the Chile quake has been confirmed as 8.8. A local tsunami has been confirmed with the highest recorded wave measuring 2.2 meters (7.21 feet)," New Zealand's Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management said.

"Current assessment is for a non-destructive tsunami for New Zealand with wave heights at the shore of between 0.2 and one metre (three feet).

"The first wave may arrive later and may not be the largest. Waves may continue for several hours," it said, warning New Zealanders to stay off beaches and out of the sea.

The warning in New Zealand and a similar one in Australia came after the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii earlier warned of a Pacific-wide tsunami threat following the huge temblor off Chile.

Nations including New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Tonga, Samoa, American Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu were all at risk, despite their great distance from the quake zone.

"Sea-level readings confirm that a tsunami has been generated which could cause widespread damage," the centre said. "Authorities should take appropriate in response to this threat."

There was no immediate indication whether South Pacific island nations had issued their own tsunami alerts following the quake.

Some 186 people died in Samoa, neighbouring American Samoa and Tonga in September last year after an 8.0 quake spawned a deadly tsunami that battered coastal villages in the island nation.

Tags: disasters-and-accidents, earthquake, emergency-incidents, emergency-planning, tidal-wave, new-zealand
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/28/2832180.htm?section=justin

[Michaelangelica]

Pacific nations gear for tsunami after Chile quake
Tsunami travel times, National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47385000/jpg/_47385740_008854488-1.jpg

Nations around the Pacific Ocean are on full alert for a possible tsunami following the devastating earthquake that hit Chile on Saturday morning.

Tsunami warnings have been sounded in an area affecting about a quarter of the globe.

Waves will spread from the epicentre of the 8.8 quake in central Chile and may strike land bordering the Pacific in the next 24 hours.

People in the Galapagos and on Easter Island have already taken refuge.

Large waves are already reported to have struck Chile's Juan Fernandez island group, reaching halfway into one inhabited area. Three people there are missing, local media say. Two aid ships are reported to be on their way.

Nations affected by the Pacific "Rim of Fire" have all sounded alerts, trying to estimate the anticipated time of arrival of any tsunami.

Tsunami warning systems have been improved since December 2004 when an earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia, sparked a tsunami that killed nearly 250,000 people.

'Urgent action'

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has said there may be "widespread damage" from high waves.

"Authorities should take appropriate action in response to this threat," it said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii gathers information
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii gathers information

It urged Hawaii to take "urgent action".

French Polynesia was expected to be first in the firing line, with an estimated arrival time for any potential tsunami of 1550 GMT.

It has been difficult to estimate the possible wave heights of any tsunami - the waves may not arrive at all or could be as high as 10 metres above normal sea level.

American Samoa has urged residents to seek shelter, calling on coastal villagers to seek higher ground.

Hawaii plans to sound civil defence sirens at about 1600 GMT.

John Cummings, Oahu civil defence spokesman, said: "Get off the shoreline. We are closing all the beaches and telling people to drive out of the area."

The first tsunami would be projected to hit Hawaii at 2119 GMT on Big Island.

New Zealand has warned waves up to 3m could hit South Island and outlying islands. It set a time of 1805 GMT for a possible strike on Chatham Islands.

Australian officials warned of "possible dangerous waves, strong ocean currents and foreshore flooding" from Sydney to Brisbane.

Japan may be hit at 0300 GMT on Sunday, the country's meteorological agency said, calling for people to be fully alert.

California has also warned its coastal cities to prepare for possible tsunami waves, the first strike possibly around San Diego.

The Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu could also all be at risk.

[mischief]

I forgot there was supposed to be a tsunami hitting today.
We spent the day on our sail boat fixing up bits n bobs.
The tides were the same, the wave patterns werent any different that I could tell.
The fish were not biting.
Caught 2 eels last night and 2 way too small snapper that had to go back(midnight)

Last time there was an earthquake in South America there was supposed to be a tsunami then too and wasnt.
I think the South Pacific Ocean is too wide and too deep for this to happen.
Having said that there was apparently one that hit sometimes in the 60's just a smallish wave that kept coming.

[pebble]

There's geological evidence of large tsunami hitting the east coast of NZ in the past (pre history). I don't know where they originated though. We don't really have a lot of good data on what can happen when, that's why the monitors in the Pacific are so important. NZ used the monitors and reports from the Chathams alot this time too.

I think the issue with these smaller tsunami isn't a big wave but the changes to harbour entrances and river mouths, which is important for boaties, divers, swimmers etc. The last one damaged a harbour up North. People were reporting yesterday that sudden drop before the surge arrives, and this happening more than once. That would be pretty cool to see. I was interested to listen to the media coverage (Radio NZ) and see how they handled it. Interesting that so much time was spent on the local thing and not on Chile. Also, I got the impression that this is all training for Civil Defense and the media etc, figuring things out.

[mischief]

If it was in the last 600 years it could have been caused by Rangitoto Island emrging out of the sea.
There is also some evidence(ref: "1421; a book on the alledged Chinese 'Grand tour of the world'- my words) that a meteor strike hit around this time in the south of NZ.
Its been a while since I read it so I may have got it wrong.

Isnt history fasinating in that we really dont know anything about what people got up to./eg, Eygptians are supposed to have been in Australia pre known hieroglyphic era.(I wish I knew the right words for things).

[pebble]

Ok, I had to go look it up now ;-)

Apparently there's been a number of smaller tsunami in the last few hundred years that records were kept about, including on 9 earthquake in Chile that caused big waves here. We've been luck a few times that the waves coincided with low tides.


At least three tsunami with run-up heights of 10 m or more have occurred in the last 165 years
(the period of written history in New Zealand). Two of these tsunami were generated by local
earthquakes (1855 and 1947), the other by a large South American earthquake (1868).
Tsunami with run-up height of 30 m or more have been found in the geological (pre-
historical) record of the last 6,000 years.


http://www.civildefence.govt.nz/memwebsite.nsf/Files/Tsunami_Hazard_report/$file/Final_Hazard_and_Risk_Report_part_3.pdf


There's an interesting bit here about a tsunami 500 years ago that affected NI Maori communities:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/blogs/opinion/columnists/2954067/Tsunami-wiped-out-historic-knowledge

[Michaelangelica]

I always knew NZ was a dangerous place!
Ground trembling, spiting mud and water at you; big high places to fall off.
Give me the snakes and spiders!

Here they said you had a 1&1/2 foot surge.
No that's funny why do i remember feet-- the old imperial measure. I'm sure that's what was said.

I read your link and figgured if you coped it we should have got a bit too
So (it looks like eveyone is diving into their history books lol )

Devastating tsunami had a predecessor
By Claudine Ryan
Posted Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:40am AEDT

A full-sized forerunner to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hit the region between 500 and 700 years ago, a study suggests.

Two groups of geoscientists report their evidence today in the journal Nature that a similar event occurred around 1400 AD.

Until now there has been no historical record of a predecessor to the Indian Ocean tsunami and the associated magnitude 9.2 earthquake.

More than 220,000 people throughout southern Asia and as far away as the east coast of Africa died in the disaster.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/30/2405392.htm

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/archaeologists-reject-theory-about-mega-tsunamis-hitting-australia-10000-years-back_10016146.html

http://www.activeboard.com/forum.spark?forumID=58381&p=3&topicID=5594486