7.6 Earthquake in the South Pacific

Warning Over Tsunami

news.sky.com

A tsunami warning has been issued after an earthquake with a preliminary magniture of 7.6 hit the South Pacific Ocean.

The earthquake struck around 200 miles from the Solomon Islands at 2040 GMT.

It struck around six miles beneath the sea floor.

The tsunami warning covers the Solomons and Papua New Guinea, while there is a tsunami watch for a number of other South Pacific countries and Hawaii.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 1-4-2007 by infinite]

I have bad news. The Tsunami has just hit towns and villages in Solomon Island. Hawaii has been put on alert and Western Australia is on alert too.

This is breaking by the second...

news.sky.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I read a report about an earthquake in the Solomons but nothing claiming that a wave has actually hit the islands.

Originally posted by uberarcanist
I read a report about an earthquake in the Solomons but nothing claiming that a wave has actually hit the islands.

Skynews...

it just came up, but the story is sadly being pushed ashead due to the hostage crisis in Iran.

Skynews has confirmed it coming ashore.

Report

Solomons quake sparks East coast tsunami fear

A tsunami warning has been issued for Queensland's Barrier Reef Islands and Willis Island in the Coral Sea after a strong earthquake off the Solomon Islands.


The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii said a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit near the Solomon Islands at 4.40am WA time today and was centred about 350km west-north-west of the capital Honiara at a depth of 10km.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology's National Meteorological and Oceanographic Centre in Melbourne said a possible tsunami could affect Willis Island at 8.30am (6.30am WA time) and Cooktown in far north Queensland about 9.30am (7.30am WA time).

Anyone know how bad it was?

Anything the likes of 3 years ago?

Don't know yet.

Again, the media is too busy with what is happening in Iran.

I'm on google to check for updates...

[EDIT]

Yep, confirmed. Skynews is switching to it at midnight. It has damaged villages and Towns.

Midnight report is 4 mins away.

[edit on 1-4-2007 by infinite]

For the Hawaii Area this report:

Earthquake Poses No Tsunami Threat

(KHNL) - A preliminary 7.8 magnitude earthquake near the Soloman Islands occured a little after 10:30 this morning, Hawaii time. According to State Civil Defense, there is a tsunami advisory, which means no tsunami threat is expected in Hawaii.

However, some coastal areas in Hawaii could experience small, non-destructive sea level changes and strong or unusual currents lasting up to several hours. The estimated expected time for these changes is 6:33 tonight.

Switching on skynews now

Lets pray nobody is hurt or worse

Western Australia is NOT on alert.

Eastern Australia is - specifically Far North Queensland. Our breakfast TV shows are telling us Cooktown and Cairns may be at risk.

There are reports of elective surgery being cancelled in the hospitals in these areas and children are being kept home. There are reprots that people are preparing and moving to higher ground.

40 - 60 homes have been washed away on the island of Gizo (spelling?)


news.ninemsn.com.au...

will try to update as soon as possible





[edit on 1-4-2007 by resistancia]

There is this:

TSUNAMI THREAT TO EASTERN AUSTRALIA and Willis and Barrier Reef
Islands, Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii
has detected an undersea earthquake near Solomon Islands and has issued a
Tsunami Bulletin.

The earthquake has also been detected by Geoscience Australia.

FOR ALL OTHER PACIFIC AREAS, THIS MESSAGE IS AN ADVISORY ONLY.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

ORIGIN TIME - 6:40 am EST 02 APR 2007
COORDINATES - 8.6 SOUTH 157.2 EAST
LOCATION - SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAGNITUDE - 8.1

MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY
HONIARA 15CM ZERO-TO-PEAK OBSERVED AT 7:31 am EST

EVALUATION

SEA LEVEL READINGS INDICATE A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED. IT MAY HAVE
BEEN DESTRUCTIVE ALONG COASTS NEAR THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER AND
COULD ALSO BE A THREAT TO MORE DISTANT COASTS. AUTHORITIES SHOULD
TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSSIBILITY. THIS
CENTER WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR SEA LEVEL DATA TO DETERMINE THE
EXTENT AND SEVERITY OF THE THREAT.

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. ACTUAL ARRIVAL TIMES


MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE LARGEST. THE TIME
BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE TSUNAMI WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.

Based on the magnitude and location of the earthquake,
tsunami could start affecting these locations at the following local
time:

Cooktown from 0931am 02/04/2007
Cairns from 0949am
Brisbane 1033am
Gladstone 1139am
Mackay 1144am

www.bom.gov.au...

Not good.

Its too early for any of us to make any form of judgement on the severity of this.

I also heard Sky News say a Tsunami had came ashore in the Solomn Islands, no detail about their source or if it has been confirmed.

Some useful links:

www.bom.gov.au... - Australian Government Site (various warnings)

www.prh.noaa.gov... - The NOAA Pacific Warning Centre alerts.

earthquake.usgs.gov... - USGS site with detail about the quake/aftershocks.

p.

There is a map for those who want a view of the area.


Google reports

FOXNews is reporting the quake as strong as 8.1

AP: Solomon Island police say it has hit western town

(Remember the Solomon Island is made up of numerous islands)

[edit on 1-4-2007 by infinite]

Tsunami alert for Australia's east coast

Tsunami alert for Australia's east coast

A tsunami warning has been issued for Queensland's Barrier Reef Islands and Willis Island in the Coral Sea after a strong earthquake off the Solomon Islands.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii said a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit near the Solomon Islands at 6.40am (AEST) today and was centred about 350km west-north-west of the capital Honiara at a depth of 10km.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology's National Meteorological and Oceanographic Centre in Melbourne said a possible tsunami could affect Willis Island at 8.30am and Cooktown in far north Queensland about 9.30am.

[edit on 2007/4/1 by JacKatMtn]

Originally posted by infinite
FOXNews is reporting the quake at 8.1

You'll notice above that is what the Australian government is saying.

Originally posted by loam
You'll notice above that is what the Australian government is saying.

Apparently its not as strong as the Asian quake that caused the Boxing day disaster (FOXnews)

Reports suggested buildings were swaying in Japan, but that has now been denied.

Still nothing about it on Skynews

Still on the subject of Iran and the British sailors

Not even a mention of it at all :/

More:

In the Solomons, early reports said four people were missing.
Many of the buildings in Gizo had been reported damaged and villages on Shortland Island were flooded, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Council (NDMC) said on ABC Radio.

www.news.com.au...

Anyone here from Cairns? I thought I heard them say that they were evacuating the Northern Beaches??

thanx loam

we are still waiting for an update in the UK, the incident with Iran is taking up ALOT of airtime.

FOXnews is reporting a "high hit"

I thought I heard them stating that California and Washington State are on alert too, but I have to double check