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