Magnitude 7.9 - OFF THE COAST OF COSTA RICA (Tsunami Watch in Effect!)

A strong, and rather shallow quake off the coast of Costa Rica has just happened and Tsunami watch is in effect.

This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.
Magnitude 7.9 (Preliminary magnitude — update expected within 15 minutes)
Date-Time Wednesday, September 05, 2012 at 14:42:09 UTC
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 at 08:42:09 AM at epicenter

Location 9.931°N, 85.462°W
Depth 20 km (12.4 miles) set by location program
Region OFF THE COAST OF COSTA RICA
Distances 80 km (50 miles) S (180°) from Liberia, Costa Rica
151 km (94 miles) SSW (209°) from San Carlos, Nicaragua
153 km (95 miles) W (268°) from SAN JOSE, Costa Rica

Location Uncertainty Error estimate not available
Parameters NST= 38, Nph= 38, Dmin=148.1 km, Rmss=1.42 sec, Gp= 94°,
M-type="moment" magnitude from initial P wave (tsuboi method) (Mi/Mwp), Version=1
Source West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center/NOAA/NWS

Event ID at00m9vsu9

earthquake.usgs.gov...

Stay tuned for updates as I'm sure we will see some aftershocks, unless this was a foreshock.

I hope the Tsunami warning is a false alarm because this could be a disaster.

How long would a Tsunami take to cross the Pacific to Australasia? Fingers crossed we won't find out.

According to www.breakingnews.com... the tsunami warning is for the whole Caribean.

Any one who is from there or has family there should contact them to try and find higher ground until we can confim there is no tsunami to worry about.

Originally posted by Corruption Exposed
According to www.breakingnews.com... the tsunami warning is for the whole Carribean.

Any one who is from there or has family there should contact them to try and find higher ground until we can confim there is no tsunami to worry about.

It looks like it was on the pacific side of Costa Rica so how would this affect the Caribbean?

reply to post by Corruption Exposed



Pacific, they got that wrong, it is for the pacific.
ptwc.weather.gov...

Looks like NOAA already called the tsunami watch off.

ptwc.weather.gov...

Breaking News: 7.9 magnitude quake strikes off Costa Rica; tsunami warning in effect from Mexico to Chile

Batten down the hatches, 2012 is about to get interesting!!!

It's the Pacific side, not Atlantic, and they have made this change.

Thank you for all the clarifications

I was just reporting what I saw on that news site, so I apologize if I posted any wrong information.

As one poster said the tsunami watch may have been called off so let's hope this is true.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed

I wish I understood more Spanish. For those of you who do, Costa Rica TV

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


Movement in that direction could be large indicator of major EQ for Cali. Large sunspot is growing exponentially and is already in the M-class area.

Looks like it is being downgraded to a 7.6, still big. source

Here is the tsunami info:

000
WEHW42 PHEB 051451
TIBHWX HIZ001>003-005>009-012>014-016>021-023>026-051651-

TSUNAMI INFORMATION STATEMENT NUMBER 1
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
451 AM HST WED SEP 05 2012

TO - CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE STATE OF HAWAII

SUBJECT - TSUNAMI INFORMATION STATEMENT

THIS STATEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NO ACTION REQUIRED.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

ORIGIN TIME - 0442 AM HST 05 SEP 2012
COORDINATES - 9.9 NORTH 85.5 WEST
LOCATION - OFF COAST OF COSTA RICA
MAGNITUDE - 7.9 MOMENT

EVALUATION

THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER HAS ISSUED AN EXPANDING
REGIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING AND WATCH FOR PARTS OF THE PACIFIC
LOCATED CLOSER TO THE EARTHQUAKE. AN EVALUATION OF THE PACIFIC
WIDE TSUNAMI THREAT IS UNDERWAY AND THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT
HAWAII COULD BE ELEVATED TO A WATCH OR WARNING STATUS.

IF TSUNAMI WAVES IMPACT HAWAII THEIR ESTIMATED EARLIEST ARRIVAL
TIME IS

0243 PM HST WED 05 SEP 2012

THIS WILL BE THE ONLY STATEMENT ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS
ADDITIONAL DATA ARE RECEIVED.

$$

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


I think what they did was call it off for the Caribbean, considering they got that wrong, not sure though.

Also on breakingnews.com ...

UPDATE: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says tsunami watch for Caribbean canceled; message was meant for Pacific

Chile's navy declares tsunami alert warning for country's coastline following Costa Rica quake - @Reuters; USGS revises magnitude to 7.6

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


The more earthquakes that do not generate tsunamis, the more people on the coasts will expect that no tsunami will take place. Kind of like a lullaby rocking everybody to sleep. If I were on any coast I would be moving. I have a good friend in Cali who took my advice and moved away from the Bay area.

They called it off for the Caribbean, as it was a mistake, still in effect for Pacific.

2 Central California in the last 30 minutes

guys I'm in costa rica, the tsunami alert was canceled, it was far from where i am but was intensive, i will be reporting any news from here, no dead people reported has far as i know

edit - no communication with Guanacaste the epicentre, cannot estimate how much the place is damage or if is people injured.



people is reporting huge waves don't know why the tsunami alert was cancelled

here is the link of a local channel, is spanish only watch this is spanish but at least you can see videos and images of what is happening

www.cdr.cr...




update OVSICORI dosent know if this is the main event, they are expecting aftershocks of 7.0 and 7.6 magnitude


people is reporting a crack on one of the sides of the volcano Arenal (active) i dont know the impact of this...

tsunami watch is in effect. Its the MED watch which was cancelled:

ptwc.weather.gov...


... A TSUNAMI WARNING AND WATCH ARE IN EFFECT ...

A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR

COSTA RICA / PANAMA / NICARAGUA / EL SALVADOR / HONDURAS /
MEXICO / COLOMBIA / ECUADOR / GUATEMALA / PERU

A TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR

CHILE

FOR ALL OTHER AREAS COVERED BY THIS BULLETIN... IT IS FOR
INFORMATION ONLY AT THIS TIME.

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 - 1442Z 05 SEP 2012
COORDINATES - 9.9 NORTH 85.5 WEST
DEPTH - 46 KM
LOCATION - OFF COAST OF COSTA RICA
MAGNITUDE - 7.9

EVALUATION

IT IS NOT KNOWN THAT A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED. THIS WARNING IS
BASED ONLY ON THE EARTHQUAKE EVALUATION. 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. AUTHORITIES SHOULD TAKE
APPROPRIATE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSSIBILITY. THIS CENTER
WILL MONITOR SEA LEVEL DATA FROM GAUGES NEAR THE EARTHQUAKE TO
DETERMINE IF A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED AND ESTIMATE THE SEVERITY OF
THE THREAT.

ESTIMATED INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES AT FORECAST POINTS
WITHIN THE WARNING AND WATCH AREAS ARE GIVEN BELOW. ACTUAL
ARRIVAL TIMES MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE
LARGEST. A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE TIME BETWEEN
SUCCESSIVE WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.

LOCATION FORECAST POINT COORDINATES ARRIVAL TIME
-------------------------------- ------------ ------------
COSTA RICA CABO_SAN_ELENA 10.9N 274.0E 1510Z 05 SEP
CABO_MATAPALO 8.4N 276.7E 1518Z 05 SEP
PUERTO_QUEPOS 9.4N 275.8E 1536Z 05 SEP
PANAMA PUNTA_BURICA 8.0N 277.1E 1527Z 05 SEP
PUNTA_MALA 7.5N 280.0E 1615Z 05 SEP
PUERTO_PINA 7.4N 282.0E 1631Z 05 SEP
BALBOA_HTS. 9.0N 280.4E 1742Z 05 SEP
NICARAGUA SAN_JUAN_DL_SUR 11.2N 274.1E 1531Z 05 SEP
CORINTO 12.5N 272.8E 1546Z 05 SEP
PUERTO_SANDINO 12.2N 273.2E 1550Z 05 SEP
EL SALVADOR ACAJUTLA 13.6N 270.2E 1604Z 05 SEP
HONDURAS AMAPALA 13.2N 272.4E 1604Z 05 SEP
MEXICO PUERTO_MADERO 14.8N 267.5E 1631Z 05 SEP
MANZANILLO 19.1N 255.7E 1751Z 05 SEP
ACAPULCO 16.9N 260.1E 1757Z 05 SEP
SOCORRO 18.8N 249.0E 1844Z 05 SEP
MAZATLAN 23.2N 253.6E 1848Z 05 SEP
CABO_SAN_LUCAS 22.8N 250.0E 1850Z 05 SEP
PUNTA_ABREOJOS 26.7N 246.4E 1959Z 05 SEP
COLOMBIA BAHIA_SOLANO 6.3N 282.6E 1633Z 05 SEP
TUMACO 1.8N 281.1E 1656Z 05 SEP
BUENAVENTURA 3.8N 282.8E 1657Z 05 SEP
ECUADOR ESMERELDAS 1.2N 280.2E 1650Z 05 SEP
LA_LIBERTAD 2.2S 278.8E 1711Z 05 SEP
BALTRA_IS. 0.5S 269.7E 1721Z 05 SEP
GUATEMALA SIPICATE 13.9N 268.8E 1650Z 05 SEP
PERU TALARA 4.6S 278.5E 1733Z 05 SEP
PIMENTAL 6.9S 280.0E 1842Z 05 SEP
CHIMBOTE 9.0S 281.2E 1900Z 05 SEP
LA_PUNTA 12.1S 282.8E 1903Z 05 SEP
SAN_JUAN 15.3S 284.8E 1921Z 05 SEP
MOLLENDO 17.1S 288.0E 1954Z 05 SEP
CHILE ARICA 18.5S 289.7E 2013Z 05 SEP
IQUIQUE 20.2S 289.9E 2015Z 05 SEP
ANTOFAGASTA 23.3S 289.6E 2028Z 05 SEP

BULLETINS WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.
THE TSUNAMI WARNING AND WATCH WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL
FURTHER NOTICE.

THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE PRODUCTS
FOR ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...WASHINGTON...OREGON...CALIFORNIA.