The Briefing Room
General Category => World News => Topic started by: Atomic Cow on April 02, 2014, 12:22:11 am
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(CNN) -- An 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Chile on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The quake was centered some 50 miles west-northwest of Iquique at a depth of 6.2 miles.
A tsunami warning was in effect for Chile, Peru and Ecuador.
A tsunami watch was issued for Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/01/world/americas/chile-earthquake/index.html
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8.0 is pretty damned serious, isn't it?
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8.0 is pretty damned serious, isn't it?
It is a subduction zone.. Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes generated in a subduction zone.
http://www.shakeoutbc.ca/downloads/Tsunami_FAQ.pdf
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Besides shipping...what land mass is in danger? Hawaii?
Mexican coast?
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Besides shipping...what land mass is in danger? Hawaii?
Mexican coast?
That's up to the National Tsunami Warning Center/NOAA to determine the danger
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That's up to the National Tsunami Warning Center
Understood....was just visualizing 'ripples' emanating from the Chilean coast
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Understood....was just visualizing 'ripples' emanating from the Chilean coast
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM
• 1. Seismic observatories in the region detect an earthquake and send data to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii.
• 2. If the earthquake is in the Pacific basin and above 7.5 on Richter scale, an initial "Tsunami watch" alert is sent out.
• 3. Data from monitoring stations deep on the seabed near the earthquake's epicentre is checked for signs of a tsunami.
• 4. If a tsunami is detected, full warnings are sent out via national systems which have been set up in several countries.
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4149201.stm
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Apr 1, 8:17 PM EDT
Magnitude-8.0 quake strikes northern Chile
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- A powerful earthquake has struck in the Pacific off Chile's northern region, and authorities have ordered an evacuation of coastal areas in case of a tsunami. There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 8.0 and struck 61 miles (99 kilometers) northwest of Iquique, Chile, at 8:46 p.m. It hit in an area that has been rocked by numerous quakes over the past two weeks.
The latest tremor shook buildings in parts of the nearby nations of Bolivia and Peru.
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PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM
• 1. Seismic observatories in the region detect an earthquake and send data to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii.
• 2. If the earthquake is in the Pacific basin and above 7.5 on Richter scale, an initial "Tsunami watch" alert is sent out.
• 3. Data from monitoring stations deep on the seabed near the earthquake's epicentre is checked for signs of a tsunami.
• 4. If a tsunami is detected, full warnings are sent out via national systems which have been set up in several countries.
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4149201.stm
Thanks for your detailed response, SPQR! :beer:
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Thanks for your detailed response, SPQR! :beer:
You are welcome
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Very large earthquakes are not uncommon on that side of South America but it is especially worrisome considering all the ones we've been seeing around LA. Hopefully some of these relieved pressure. I can't imagine what an 8.0 would do on the mainland here.
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PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM
• 1. Seismic observatories in the region detect an earthquake and send data to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii.
• 2. If the earthquake is in the Pacific basin and above 7.5 on Richter scale, an initial "Tsunami watch" alert is sent out.
• 3. Data from monitoring stations deep on the seabed near the earthquake's epicentre is checked for signs of a tsunami.
• 4. If a tsunami is detected, full warnings are sent out via national systems which have been set up in several countries.
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4149201.stm
(http://i62.tinypic.com/5lc3fr.gif)
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A massive magnitude 8.0 earthquake on Tuesday off the coast of Chile, near the mining port of Iquique, sparked a tsunami warning for all of Latin America's Pacific coast, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
"An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicenter within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours," it said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was very shallow, only 6.2 miles below the seabed. It was centered 53 miles northwest of Iquique, Chile's main mining export port.
being shallow will it make a tsunami less possible or more?
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being shallow will it make a tsunami less possible or more?
More.
And to answer a previous question, ships are not in danger from a tsunami unless they're along the coast. Out in the ocean, a tsunami is barely noticeable if even that.
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USGS has revised it to an 8.2 at a depth of 12.5 miles.
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Besides shipping...what land mass is in danger? Hawaii?
Mexican coast?
Hawaii's largest tsunamis originated from Chile earthquakes.
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Hawaii's largest tsunamis originated from Chile earthquakes.
Or the Aleutians. Today is the anniversary of the 1946 Aleutians quake which caused a tsunami that hit Hilo and killed almost 160.
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ABC News
5 mins ·
UPDATE: NWS Eureka, Calif., says as of now, there is no immediate tsunami threat to the US west coast; NWS LA: Conference call at 9:30 p.m. ET with National Tsunami Center; "will update the public as soon as we know something."
(http://a.abcnews.com/images/International/chile_earthquake_map_2_33x16_992.jpg)
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I'm assuming they have Tsunami evacuation routes like we do living on our west coast. If so, watching the live feed shows they are not working real well. The traffic is at a stand still.
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I'm assuming they have Tsunami evacuation routes like we do living on our west coast. If so, watching the live feed shows they are not working real well. The traffic is at a stand still.
That's up to the National Tsunami Warning Center/NOAA /USGS to determine the danger
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Or the Aleutians. Today is the anniversary of the 1946 Aleutians quake which caused a tsunami that hit Hilo and killed almost 160.
It took 4.5 to 5 hours for the wave to slam into Hilo in 1946.The waves generated spread outward in all directions and travel across the oceans at speeds between 425 and 500 miles per hour.
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/archive/1994/94_05_20.html
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It is a subduction zone.. Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes generated in a subduction zone.
http://www.shakeoutbc.ca/downloads/Tsunami_FAQ.pdf
yep...Southern Hemisphere edge of the Pacific Rim of Fire. The only place that has more earthquakes and volcanoes is the entire Indonesian archipelago. There is a permanent hot spot there on top of the subduction zone where Krakatoa used to be, and where Anak-Krakatoa continues to rise. Ancient Indonesian lore suggests that at one time, Sumatra and Java were one big island until a massive pre-Krakatoa subduction volcanic event cut them in two. Hawaii sits atop another permanent hot spot in the crust, and you can track the steady movement of the plate the islands sit on by the trail of extinct volcanoes in the Western islands.
Plate tectonics is a fascinating subject, and it wasn't even proposed as a formal theory until 1970 or so. The first shots at explaining it didn't start until the late thirties and was interrupted by a World War; so everything we think we know is fairly recent but still evolving.
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The Northwest is no stranger to mega subduction zone quakes. At 9PM on January 26, 1700 one of the world's largest earthquakes occurred along the west coast of Washington State. The resulting tsunami reshaped the coast of Japan all the way across the pacific. If that would happen today, and they say its not IF but When the death toll could be in the tens of thousands from the shaking alone, and more from the tsunami.
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Tsunami strikes Chile: Live updates after massive 8.3 magnitude earthquake causes giant wave
Apr 02, 2014 03:55
By Ben Rossington
The quake, which struck 50 miles from the coast of Chile, sparked a 6.3ft wave which hit the Chilean port town of Iquique
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It was so strong, the USGS seismograph in Nacogdoches, TX picked it up.
http://www.kltv.com/story/25134972/magnitude-82-quake-strikes-northern-chile?utm_content=buffer4a107&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
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000
WEPA40 PHEB 020235
TSUPAC
TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 005
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 0235Z 02 APR 2014
THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO AREAS WITHIN AND BORDERING THE PACIFIC
OCEAN AND ADJACENT SEAS...EXCEPT ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...
WASHINGTON...OREGON AND CALIFORNIA.
... A TSUNAMI WARNING AND WATCH ARE IN EFFECT ...
A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR
CHILE / PERU
WARNING AND WATCH FOR ALL PREVIOUSLY NAMED AREAS ARE
CANCELLED
FOR ALL OTHER AREAS COVERED BY THIS BULLETIN... IT IS FOR
INFORMATION ONLY AT THIS TIME.
http://ptwc.weather.gov/ptwc/text.php?id=pacific.TSUPAC.2014.04.02.0235
000
WEHW42 PHEB 020247
TIBHWX
HIZ001>003-005>009-012>014-016>021-023>026-020447-
TSUNAMI INFORMATION STATEMENT NUMBER 5
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
447 PM HST TUE APR 01 2014
TO - CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE STATE OF HAWAII
SUBJECT - TSUNAMI INFORMATION STATEMENT
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NO ACTION IS REQUIRED AT
THIS TIME. HOWEVER... THE TSUNAMI THREAT TO HAWAII IS STILL
BEING EVALUATED.
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
ORIGIN TIME - 0147 PM HST 01 APR 2014
COORDINATES - 19.8 SOUTH 70.8 WEST
LOCATION - OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CHILE
MAGNITUDE - 8.2 MOMENT
EVALUATION
A WARNING IS STILL IN EFFECT FOR CHILE AND PERU.
WE ARE STILL INVESTIGATING LEVEL OF TSUNAMI THREAT
FOR HAWAII.
IF TSUNAMI WAVES IMPACT HAWAII THEIR ESTIMATED EARLIEST ARRIVAL
TIME IS
0324 AM HST WED 02 APR 2014
FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER AS CONDITIONS
WARRANT UNTIL THE THREAT TO HAWAII HAS PASSED.
http://ptwc.weather.gov/ptwc/text.php?id=hawaii.TIBHWX.2014.04.02.0247
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The Northwest is no stranger to mega subduction zone quakes. At 9PM on January 26, 1700 one of the world's largest earthquakes occurred along the west coast of Washington State. The resulting tsunami reshaped the coast of Japan all the way across the pacific. If that would happen today, and they say its not IF but When the death toll could be in the tens of thousands from the shaking alone, and more from the tsunami.
That is the Juan De Fuca plate you are mentioning. That is responsible for the creation of the Cascade mountain region as it rams into along the Pacific plate
(http://i59.tinypic.com/23tjo07.gif)
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Pacific Ring of Fire
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Pacific Ring of Fire
These are where the buoys are located as of 2007. I assume DART is completed:
(http://i61.tinypic.com/2rm8op0.jpg)
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Is this level of activity normal?
It seems there have been a lot of quakes along the Americas side recently. Is it the normal level which is just more visible thanks to real time, world wide reporting? Or has activity kicked up a few notches?
Can't seem to find out either way.
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Is this level of activity normal?
It seems there have been a lot of quakes along the Americas side recently. Is it the normal level which is just more visible thanks to real time, world wide reporting? Or has activity kicked up a few notches?
Can't seem to find out either way.
It happens everywhere. Surface movement does not happen on one side then switches to the other. Our planet is constantly active. USGS constantly tracks even the smaller ones
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More (http://nypost.com/2014/04/01/major-earthquake-strikes-off-chile-tsunami-warning-issued/):
The death toll rose to six in the 8.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile’s northern coast – but officials said it remained a remarkably low toll for such a powerful shift in the Earth’s crust.
Authorities also lifted tsunami warnings for the South American nation’s long Pacific coastline early Wednesday, easing fears or more widespread death and destruction. ...
The quake touched off landslides that blocked roads, knocked out power for thousands, damaged an airport and ignited raging fires that destroyed several businesses.
About 300 inmates escaped from a women’s prison in the city of Iquique, forcing the closure of the border with Peru. Officials said some two dozen had been captured early Wednesday. ...
The tsunami warning center initially had cancelled tsunami watches for areas other than northern Chile and southern Peru. The only U.S. impact might be higher waves Wednesday for Hawaii’s swimmers and surfers, it said.
The US Geological Survey initially reported the quake at 8.0, but later upgraded the magnitude of the quake that struck 61 miles northwest of Iquique.
More than 20 significant aftershocks followed, including a 6.2 tremor. ...
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Interesting story from March 25, 2014:
Are Chile’s 300 earthquakes this week a harbinger of doom?
By Associated Press
March 25, 2014 | 10:03am
SANTIAGO, Chile — More than 300 earthquakes have shaken Chile’s far-northern coast the past week, keeping people on edge as scientists say there is no way to tell if the unusual string of tremors is a harbinger of an impending disaster.
The unnerving activity began with a strong magnitude-6.7 quake March 16 that caused more than 100,000 people to briefly evacuate low-lying areas, although no tsunami materialized and there was little physical damage from the shaking.
But the land has not settled down. More than a dozen perceptible quakes were felt in the city of Iquique just on Monday.
“The situation is out of the ordinary. There’s a mix of a string of tremors and their aftershocks that make things more complex to evaluate,” Mario Pardo, deputy head of the Universidad de Chile seismology center, told the local newspaper La Tercera. “We can’t rule out a larger quake.”
Chile is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. A magnitude-8.8 quake and ensuing tsunami in central Chile in 2010 killed more than 500 people, destroyed 220,000 homes, and washed away docks, riverfronts and seaside resorts. ...
Rest of story (http://nypost.com/2014/03/25/are-chiles-300-earthquakes-this-week-a-harbinger-of-doom/)
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If you take away all the aftershocks I'm not sure that 300 earthquake figure is correct. An earthquake of this size can have hundreds of aftershocks, some fairly large, some so small that only a seismograph can see it. I think many of those are included in that headline figure.
Take away this 8.2 and the most activity has been on our own west coast.
Here is the map of the earthquakes this last week. And before anybody panics, it goes up and down each week and locations change, but this is pretty much the type of activity I see each week. And I pull this up often. In fact the activity in my home state of WA is down big time this week.
http://earthquakes.tafoni.net/
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Thank you for the map! Very useful. :beer:
Earthquakes scare the crap out of me for some reason - even small ones.
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Thank you for the map! Very useful. :beer:
Earthquakes scare the crap out of me for some reason - even small ones.
I've been in a 7.2 and a 6.5 and a few smaller ones. They are quite scary and where I work it is all built on land fill over an ancient swamp, so the shaking last longer. My home however is on good glaciel till on a hill and has come through unscathed.