Tsunami Warning for Washington State

This just in by television announcement.

An earthquake off the coast of California has initiated a possible tsunami wave to strike the coast of Washington State. It is not known at this time when or if a tsunami will strike, but warnings are being given and people are asked to use immediate caution.

More news as it comes...

Personally, I thought we had a tsunami warning system around the United States coast. Either we don't or the assumed wave is already inside that zone.

A major earthquake occurred at 02:50:56 (UTC) on Wednesday, June 15, 2005. The magnitude 7.4 event has been located OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
Magnitude 7.4
Date-Time Wednesday, June 15, 2005 at 02:50:56 (UTC)= Coordinated Universal Time
Tuesday, June 14, 2005 at 6:50:56 PM = local time at epicenter
Location 41.288°N, 125.710°W
Depth 40 km (24.9 miles) set by location program
Region OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Distances 134 km (83 miles) W (281°) from Trinidad, CA
136 km (84 miles) WSW (248°) from Crescent City, CA
137 km (85 miles) WNW (282°) from Westhaven-Moonstone, CA
472 km (293 miles) NW (311°) from Sacramento, CA

TO - TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM PARTICIPANTS IN ALASKA/BRITISH COLUMBIA/WASHINGTON/OREGON/CALIFORNIA
FROM - WEST COAST AND ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
SUBJECT - TSUNAMI WARNING BULLETIN - INITIAL
BULLETIN NUMBER 1
ISSUED 06/15/2005 AT 0256 UTC

...A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL AREAS
FROM THE CALIFORNIA-MEXICO BORDER TO THE NORTH TIP OF
VANCOUVER I.-BC. INCLUSIVE...

...A TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL AREAS FROM
THE NORTH TIP OF VANCOUVER I.-BC. TO SITKA-AK...

...AT THIS TIME THIS BULLETIN IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY FOR
OTHER AREAS OF ALASKA...

EVALUATION
IT IS NOT KNOWN - REPEAT NOT KNOWN - IF A TSUNAMI EXISTS BUT A
TSUNAMI MAY HAVE BEEN GENERATED. THEREFORE PERSONS IN LOW
LYING COASTAL AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT TO INSTRUCTIONS FROM THEIR
LOCAL EMERGENCY OFFICIALS. PERSONS ON THE BEACH SHOULD MOVE TO
HIGHER GROUND IF IN A WARNED AREA. TSUNAMIS MAY BE A SERIES OF
WAVES WHICH COULD BE DANGEROUS FOR SEVERAL HOURS AFTER THE
INITIAL WAVE ARRIVAL.

The recent warning has been just downgraded to a bulletin. There is still some chance of a tsunami wave sometime between 9 and 10 pm (pst). People living in the coastal areas are strongly urged to seek higher ground.

I wonder if terrorists set off an earthquake bomb to try and do mass damage. Hey, there were similar theories (about the US military) regarding the Indonesia tsunami.

humm, i thought only earthquakes of magnitude 7.9 or higher could create big tsunamies.

Anyways, anyone living in that area should keep an eye on the news.

Oh great, my Dad is in B.C. right now.... right on the coast to boot.... I hope nothing happens.

Nothing is going to happen, the tsunami warning has been cancelled. The tsunami was too small, anyways there are other conditions which are needed for an earthquake magnitute 7.9 + to make a tsunami, there has to be a vertical movement of the fracture up/down in order for the tsunami to occur, and depending on which part of the plate moves up the tsunami could go either inland or away from land.

.. just people spreading more panic and fear.

It was a Mag 7.0

Magnitude 7.0 - OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
2005 June 15 02:50:54 UTC

Which is a strong quake.
The Boxing Day (Mag 9.3) Tsunami Quake however, was 3,000 times stronger than this...

Well i realy glad to see nobody has been hurt in this, Heres a Sky news link


www.sky.com...

Witnesses felt buildings shaking along the California coast but there were no immediate reports of damage.

A tsunami warning was briefly in effect from the California-Mexico border, north to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, but was called off about an hour after the earthquake was felt.

Originally posted by Muaddib
humm, i thought only earthquakes of magnitude 7.9 or higher could create big tsunamies.

Anyways, anyone living in that area should keep an eye on the news.

I dont thinks size matters as long as there is a displacement of land on the ocean floor, or a landslide.

Originally posted by SpittinCobra
I dont thinks size matters

as long as there is a displacement of land on the ocean floor, or a landslide.

I remember reading something about it when the Tsunami occurred in SE Asia. The following is an excerpt of the earthqaukes that can cause tsunamis.

Magnitudes below 6.5
Earthquakes of this magnitude are very unlikely to trigger a tsunami.

Magnitudes between 6.5 and 7.5
Earthquakes of this size do not usually produce destructive tsunamis. However, small sea level changes may be observed in the vicinity of the epicenter. Tsunamis capable of producing damage or casualties are rare in this magnitude range but have occurred due to secondary effects such as landslides or submarine slumps.

Magnitudes between 7.6 and 7.8
Earthquakes of this size may produce destructive tsunamis especially near the epicenter; at greater distances small sea level changes may be observed. Tsunamis capable of producing damage at great distances are rare in the magnitude range.

Magnitude 7.9 and greater
Destructive local tsunamis are possible near the epicenter, and significant sea level changes and damage may occur in a broader region.

Excerpted from.
earthquake.usgs.gov...

My memory still serves me right.

Originally posted by Ishes
.. just people spreading more panic and fear.

So if a warning is issued but not told to people...then someone didn't do their job?

If it's issued and then told, but nothing happens...then you're just spreading panic and fear?



Guess now I understand Bush's position on terror a bit more.
Damned if you don't tell and damned if you do...and they don't act.

Seems there was also a smaller one today (4.6) in the same area, possibley a tremor from the bigger one,

www.iris.edu...

Originally posted by Hellmutt
It was a Mag 7.0

Magnitude 7.0 - OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
2005 June 15 02:50:54 UTC

Ok,
They have upgraded this quake to a 7.2 now...
For Your Information...

It's not just the magnitude; the nature of the slip itself is key to whether it would produce a tsunami or not.

"It appears from the mechanism of the earthquake that this was a strike-slip event so the motion was horizontal, not the vertical displacement that typically leads to a tsunami," said Ved Lekic, a seismologist at the University of California Seismographic Station in Berkeley."

(From CNN)

So magnitude is only one part of the equation; the type of slippage is the other key.