Thread: Tsunami Warning for Hawaii,US Coast; Japan 8.9 Quake

TOKYO and HONOLULU -- The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii has widened its tsunami warning to include Hawaii and the rest of the Pacific Ocean, following a massive earthquake off the northeastern coast of Japan. Officials also say a tsunami watch has been issued for the entire western coast of the United States and Canada, from the Mexican border to Chignik Bay in Alaska.

The warning was issued Thursday at 9:31 p.m. HST. Sirens were sounded shortly afterward in Honolulu alerting people in coastal areas to evacuate. The first waves were expected to arrive at 2:55 a.m. HST Friday. Tsunami warnings are issued due to the imminent threat of a tsunami. The warning also includes Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Central and South America. The coast of North America is not included in the warning.

The Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska issued the watch affecting the West Coast. Tsunami watches are issued as an advance alert to areas that could be impacted by a tsunami.

Quake: Magnitude 8.9
Date-Time Friday, March 11, 2011 at 05:46:23 UTC
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 02:46:23 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location 38.322°N, 142.369°E
Depth 24.4 km (15.2 miles) set by location program
Region NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances 130 km (80 miles) E of Sendai, Honshu, Japan
178 km (110 miles) E of Yamagata, Honshu, Japan
178 km (110 miles) ENE of Fukushima, Honshu, Japan
373 km (231 miles) NE of TOKYO, Japan

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 13.5 km (8.4 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST=350, Nph=351, Dmin=416.3 km, Rmss=1.46 sec, Gp= 29°,
M-type="moment" magnitude from initial P wave (tsuboi method) (Mi/Mwp), Version=A
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Event ID usc0001xgp

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquak...usc0001xgp.php

So far 13 aftershocks > Mag 6

000
WEPA40 PHEB 110930
TSUPAC
TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 005
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 0930Z 11 MAR 2011
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
JAPAN / RUSSIA / MARCUS IS. / N. MARIANAS / GUAM / WAKE IS. /
TAIWAN / YAP / PHILIPPINES / MARSHALL IS. / BELAU / MIDWAY IS. /
POHNPEI / CHUUK / KOSRAE / INDONESIA / PAPUA NEW GUINEA /
NAURU / JOHNSTON IS. / SOLOMON IS. / KIRIBATI / HOWLAND-BAKER /
HAWAII / TUVALU / PALMYRA IS. / VANUATU / TOKELAU / JARVIS IS. /
WALLIS-FUTUNA / SAMOA / AMERICAN SAMOA / COOK ISLANDS / NIUE /
FIJI / NEW CALEDONIA / TONGA / MEXICO /
KERMADEC IS / FR. POLYNESIA / PITCAIRN /
GUATEMALA / EL SALVADOR / COSTA RICA / NICARAGUA / ANTARCTICA /
PANAMA / HONDURAS / CHILE / ECUADOR / COLOMBIA / PERU
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 - 0546Z 11 MAR 2011
COORDINATES - 38.3 NORTH 142.4 EAST
DEPTH - 24 KM
LOCATION - NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU JAPAN
MAGNITUDE - 8.9
MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY
GAUGE LOCATION LAT LON TIME AMPL PER
OMAEZAKI HONSHU JP 34.6N 138.2E 0818Z 1.42M / 4.6FT 56MIN
DART 21415 50.2N 171.8E 0844Z 0.27M / 0.9FT 52MIN
DART 21419 44.5N 155.7E 0716Z 0.40M / 1.3FT 20MIN
TOSASHIMIZU SHIKOKU 32.8N 133.0E 0752Z 0.94M / 3.1FT 72MIN
DART 21413 30.5N 152.1E 0659Z 0.76M / 2.5FT 32MIN
HANASAKI HOKKAIDO J 43.3N 145.6E 0657Z 2.79M / 9.2FT 76MIN
DART 21401 42.6N 152.6E 0643Z 0.67M / 2.2FT 40MIN
DART 21418 38.7N 148.7E 0619Z 1.08M / 3.5FT 06MIN
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.
NOTE - DART MEASUREMENTS ARE FROM THE DEEP OCEAN AND THEY
ARE GENERALLY MUCH SMALLER THAN WOULD BE COASTAL
MEASUREMENTS AT SIMILAR LOCATIONS.
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.
BULLETINS WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.
THE TSUNAMI WARNING 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 PRODUCTS
FOR ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...WASHINGTON...OREGON...CALIFORNIA.

...THE TSUNAMI WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL
AREAS OF CALIFORNIA AND OREGON FROM POINT CONCEPCION
CALIFORNIA TO THE OREGON-WASHINGTON BORDER...

...THE TSUNAMI WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL
AREAS OF ALASKA FROM AMCHITKA PASS ALASKA/125 MILES W OF
ADAK/ TO ATTU ALASKA...

...THE TSUNAMI ADVISORY CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL
AREAS OF CALIFORNIA FROM THE CALIFORNIA-MEXICO BORDER TO
POINT CONCEPCION CALIFORNIA...

...THE TSUNAMI ADVISORY CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL
AREAS OF WASHINGTON - BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALASKA FROM THE
OREGON-WASHINGTON BORDER TO AMCHITKA PASS ALASKA/125 MILES
W OF ADAK/...

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN GENERATED WHICH IS EXPECTED TO CAUSE DAMAGE
TO THE WARNING AND/OR ADVISORY REGIONS LISTED IN THE HEADLINE.
PERSONS IN LOW-LYING COASTAL AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT TO
INSTRUCTIONS FROM THEIR LOCAL EMERGENCY OFFICIALS. EVACUATIONS
ARE ONLY ORDERED BY EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES.
- PERSONS IN TSUNAMI WARNING COASTAL AREAS SHOULD MOVE INLAND TO
HIGHER GROUND.

- PERSONS IN TSUNAMI ADVISORY COASTAL AREAS SHOULD MOVE OUT OF
THE WATER... OFF THE BEACH AND OUT OF HARBORS AND MARINAS.

MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI ACTIVITY

TSUNAMI WARNINGS MEAN THAT A TSUNAMI WITH SIGNIFICANT WIDESPREAD
INUNDATION IS IMMINENT OR EXPECTED. TSUNAMIS ARE A SERIES OF
WAVES POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SEVERAL HOURS AFTER INITIAL ARRIVAL
TIME. ESTIMATED TIMES OF INITIAL WAVE ARRIVAL FOR SELECTED
SITES IN THE WARNING ARE PROVIDED BELOW.

CHARLESTON-OR 0715 PST MAR 11 SEASIDE-OR 0724 PST MAR 11
CRESCENT CITY-CA 0723 PST MAR 11 SAN FRANCISCO-CA 0808 PST MAR 11

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center: http://www.weather.gov/ptwc/

West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center: http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/index.php

03/11/2011 at 2:37AM PST

This message keeps the warning and advisory regions fixed and adds new tsunami observations. A link is provided for tsunami amplitude forecasts.

The Tsunami Warning continues in effect for the coastal areas of California and Oregon from Point Concepcion, California to the Oregon-Washington border.

The Tsunami Warning continues in effect for the coastal areas of Alaska from Amchitka Pass, Alaska (125 miles W of Adak) to Attu, Alaska.

The Tsunami Advisory continues in effect for the coastal areas of California from the California-Mexico border to Point Concepcion, California.

The Tsunami Advisory continues in effect for the coastal areas of Washington, British Columbia and Alaska from the Oregon-Washington border to Amchitka Pass, Alaska (125 miles W of Adak).

Measurements or reports of tsunami activity:


Location Lat. Lon. Time Amplitude ------------------------ ----- ------ ------- -----------
Arena Cove CA 38.9N 123.7W 1746UTC 05.7FT/01.74M
Crescent City CA 41.7N 124.2W 1644UTC 08.1FT/02.47M
Monterey Harbor CA 36.6N 121.9W 1550UTC 02.4FT/00.72M
San Francisco CA 37.8N 122.5W 1659UTC 02.0FT/00.61M
North Spit CA 40.8N 124.2W 1630UTC 03.1FT/00.95M
Port San Luis CA 35.2N 120.8W 1721UTC 06.3FT/01.93M
Port Angeles WA 48.1N 123.4W 1713UTC 01.3FT/00.40M
Winter Harbour BC 50.7N 128.3W 1450UTC 01.7FT/00.53M
Santa Monica CA 34.0N 118.5W 1808UTC 01.9FT/00.59M
Santa Barbara CA 34.4N 119.7W 1801UTC 02.2FT/00.67M
Sand Point AK 55.3N 160.5W 1522UTC 01.2FT/00.35M
Nikolski AK 52.9N 168.9W 1614UTC 02.7FT/00.82M
King Cove AK 55.1N 162.3W 1713UTC 01.6FT/00.48M
Craig AK 55.5N 133.1W 1613UTC 00.8FT/00.24M
Elfin Cove AK 58.2N 136.3W 1535UTC 00.5FT/00.16M
Sitka AK 57.1N 135.3W 1711UTC 01.0FT/00.32M
Point Reyes CA 38.0N 123.0W 1803UTC 04.4FT/01.35M
Port Orford OR 42.7N 124.5W 1724UTC 06.1FT/01.85M

Adak AK 51.9N 176.6W 1747UTC 03.4FT/01.05M

Time - Time of measurement.
Amp. - Tsunami amplitudes are measured relative to normal sea level. It is NOT crest-to-trough wave height. Values are given in both meters (M) and feet (FT).

TSUNAMI-INDUCED DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED FROM MANY PLACES ALONG THE U.S. WEST COAST. CRESCENT CITY CALIFORNIA HARBOR HAS REPORTED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE... AND SEVERAL OTHER SITES HAVE REPORTED STRONG CURRENTS WITH BOATS AND BUOYS DAMAGED.
Tsunamis can be dangerous waves that are not survivable. Wave heights are

a forum is for discussing ideas
unilateral spouting of verbage where none of the members feels as if they want to contribute does imo not belong

locked

reopened on request

Several thoughts occur in relation to this event. I'll set aside the obvious regrets at the loss of life and focus on the scieentific and political aspects. These are disconnected observations - don't try to spot a theme, there isn't one.

1. It seems that the tsunami warning system has worked effectively in all but the immediate vicinity of the quake, where warning time would have been measured in minutes.

2. 8.9 is a massive quake, but it is still some ten times smaller than the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004. It is said to be the largest to strike Japan since historical records began. The BBC note that it is 8000 times stronger than the quake that devastated Christchurch last month.

3. I wait in trepidation for the floods of nutters pointing to this as evidence that the end of the world draws even closer.

4. The possible threat to the integrity of nuclear power stations could produce a backlash just when globally we are leaning towards more use of nuclear power.

5. And, on a final personal note, a former close friend of many years ago is from Sendai, the town most damaged by the tsunami. Although he no longer lives there I feel an indirect attachment to the place.

Look at the aftershocks! Many of these would severely damage less prepared locations.


key and update here:
http://earthquake.us...ee10/140_40.php

Check out these images prepared by the NY Times. Grab the cursor in the middle and move left and right to view sat images of the same scene before and after the tsunami.

Stunning.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...r-tsunami.html

hmmm - "stunning" is not exactly the word i would have used