Latest news with #PacificTsunamiWarningCentre
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Why did Wednesday's earthquake and tsunami produce so little damage?
On Wednesday, one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded hit a sparsely populated region in far-east Russia. It triggered a tsunami that started crossing the ocean at hundreds of miles an hour. What followed was a race against time: early warning systems went into alert mode as waves fanned out towards the coastlines of Japan, Hawaii and the US west coast. The damage appears to have been minor so far and this is, in part, thanks to a global and highly successful disaster response effort. More than 3 million people were successfully told to evacuate their homes. At the centre of this remarkable response was the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) based in Hawaii. Founded in 1949, it was monitoring tsunamis across the entire ocean by the 1960s. A small team of experts identified the size and depth of the earthquake, and a tsunami warning was triggered straight away. The whole thing worked like clockwork – their speed and accuracy may have saved thousands of lives, with temporary evacuees now allowed to return home. But this type of work could be under threat. The PTWC is part of a US government agency that has faced cuts from the Trump administration. The 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday morning. The rupture happened along hundreds of kilometres of a fault line where the Pacific plate is sinking below the North American plate. This is one of the largest faults on Earth – it's called a megathrust fault – and parts of it are underwater, which means there is always a tsunami risk. The earthquake was 30 miles (47km) beneath sea level and sent shock waves at a range of 200 miles. Tsunamis travel across the ocean at about 500mph, the speed of a jumbo jet, so some communities had a just few minutes' warning; while those on the other side of the ocean had a few hours. Unlike in the movies, when it's typically one massive wave, tsunamis are often several waves that will continue to travel around the world for days. The epicentre was near the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of 180,000 people. Residents fled inland as ports flooded, while 200 miles north, the Klyuchevskoy volcano (above) erupted, with lava descending its western slope. Maximum tsunami wave heights of 4 metres (13ft) were observed in Kamchatka. Some buildings on the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk in Russia were swept away, according to local officials. The Kremlin has said alert systems 'worked well' in the earthquake response and there were 'no casualties'. The tsunami prompted warnings and evacuations across the Pacific, including in Japan, the US west coast, Hawaii, Canada, Chile, Ecuador and New Zealand. Nevertheless, the height of the waves turned out to be lower than initially feared. In Hawaii the highest recorded waves reached 1.8 metres, in California there were surges of just over a metre, and in Japan waves remained under half a metre. Local authorities were clear about how to evacuate and gave specific locations across more than a dozen nations. In Hawaii, for example, tsunami warning sirens blared. Evacuations were ordered for some coastal areas as the Honolulu department of emergency management announced: 'Take action. Destructive tsunami waves expected.' People received alerts on their phones. All islands activated emergency operating centres, shelters opened, and people in coastal areas were told to go to higher ground. Similar warnings were issued elsewhere. In Japan, almost 2 million people had been ordered to higher ground. Local media reported one fatality of a woman killed while driving her car off a cliff as she tried to escape. In Chile, authorities conducted what the interior ministry said was 'perhaps the most massive evacuation ever carried out in our country' involving 1.4 million people. Ilan Kelman, professor of disasters and health at University College London, says: 'It looks like it's been very effective. People had that long-term education, and that long-term readiness to know what to do,' . He estimates that this preparedness saved thousands of lives. At this time of year there is a lot of tourist activity along many Pacific coastlines, and visitors are often unfamiliar with local warning systems or evacuation zones. This can make evacuations more challenging. 'It appears from places where the tsunami wave has hit, numerous lives were saved by drawing on that past experience,' says Kelman, notably the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami which killed more than 200,000 people. At the time there was no regional tsunami early warning system in place, and the Indian Ocean was not considered a high-risk area. Some warnings were sent by fax and email, and didn't reach people in time. The 2004 tsunami was also significantly more severe – some waves exceeded 30 metres in height; whereas so far waves from this latest tsunami appear to have reached a maximum of 5 metres in Russia, says Kelman. In most places, waves were less than a metre high, and in many places effects were negligible so the disaster that was anticipated didn't arrive. This is another important factor in why damage has been limited. Several international centres send out automatic messages for earthquakes, depending on the location. The Indian Ocean tsunami warning system was set up after 2004. Kelman says: 'It was never done before then because it was always too expensive, there were always other priorities, but suddenly it became a priority … It has been tested several times with mixed results, so we have to improve it.' There is no effective equivalent for the Atlantic Ocean. The main one that identified this earthquake was the PTWC. 'They were on it right away,' says Kelman. 'Knowing the size of the earthquake and the depth of the earthquake and the type of the earthquake meant that there was a significant chance of a major tsunami. They issued tsunami warnings and got the messages out there, which were then disseminated by national governments and local authorities.' However, the PTWC sits within a US government agency targeted by Elon Musk-led cuts earlier this year. Kelman says this tsunami shows how needed it is. He says: 'We would hope that if the cuts did affect them, they will be reversed and that the people who have saved lives today will also get more support for appropriate resources. 'It appears that they were nonetheless exceptionally effective, and we owe them so many thanks for issuing appropriate messages and saving many lives.'
News.com.au
19 hours ago
- Climate
- News.com.au
Australia added to tsunami advisory list after 8.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Russian coast
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has added Australia to its advisory after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Russia. The earthquake hit east-southeast of Kamchatka in Russia's east about 9.24pm AEST, triggering tsunami warnings across the globe. The warnings have extended to Japan, Hawaii, parts of the west coast of North and South America, Alaska, parts of South East Asia, Guam and all Pacific Islands. The centre has also issued a warning to Australia, adding that waves reaching 0.3 to 1m are possible along the coast. A Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said there was no tsunami threat to the country. 'The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre have assessed the event in the Pacific and there is no threat current to the Australian mainland and islands,' they told NewsWire. 'The JATWC will continue to monitor and assess the situation as it evolves.' New Zealand has issued warnings to residents living in coastal areas, advising them to steer clear of beaches and the shore. The National Emergency Management Agency said there was no reason to evacuate unless ordered to do so by authorities. Affected areas include the West Coast of the North Island from Cape Reinga to Raglan, including the West Coast of Auckland and Manukau Harbour, and from Hawera to Whanganui. Other areas affected by the threat include the east and south coasts of the North Island from Cape Reinga to Makara including Whangarei, Great Barrier Island, the east coast of Auckland, Waiheke Island, Waitemata Harbour, Tauranga, Whakatane, Opotiki, Gisborne, Napier, Lake Ferry, the Wellington south coast and Wellington Harbour.
The Age
a day ago
- Climate
- The Age
Tsunami threat for Japan, Hawaii downgraded after evacuation orders sparked panic
A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula triggered four-metre tsunami waves and sparked evacuation orders across the Pacific on Wednesday. In Hawaii, coastal residents were told to get to high ground or the fourth floor or above of buildings, and the US Coast Guard ordered ships out of harbours as the tsunami approached. Waves of up to 1.7 metres hit the Hawaiian islands shortly after 4.30pm AEST, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said. Earlier, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said no major effects had been felt, but all flights in and out of Maui, the second-largest island, were cancelled. Much of Japan's eastern coastline – devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011 – was also ordered to prepare, with almost 2 million people under an evacuation order as of Wednesday afternoon. The Japanese government issued an emergency warning, saying it expected a tsunami as high as three metres to arrive across widespread Pacific coastal areas. Telling Hawaiians to be ready, Green described the incoming tsunami as a 'forceful wall of water' and warned that waves could drown people, damage houses and the electricity grid, move cars, and dislodge trees. 'Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves expected,' the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management said on X. Hawaiian authorities downgraded the tsunami threat to 'advisory' level on Wednesday evening, confirming a major tsunami was no longer expected to strike the US island state.
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Climate
- Sydney Morning Herald
Tsunami threat for Japan, Hawaii downgraded after evacuation orders sparked panic
A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula triggered four-metre tsunami waves and sparked evacuation orders across the Pacific on Wednesday. In Hawaii, coastal residents were told to get to high ground or the fourth floor or above of buildings, and the US Coast Guard ordered ships out of harbours as the tsunami approached. Waves of up to 1.7 metres hit the Hawaiian islands shortly after 4.30pm AEST, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said. Earlier, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said no major effects had been felt, but all flights in and out of Maui, the second-largest island, were cancelled. Much of Japan's eastern coastline – devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011 – was also ordered to prepare, with almost 2 million people under an evacuation order as of Wednesday afternoon. The Japanese government issued an emergency warning, saying it expected a tsunami as high as three metres to arrive across widespread Pacific coastal areas. Telling Hawaiians to be ready, Green described the incoming tsunami as a 'forceful wall of water' and warned that waves could drown people, damage houses and the electricity grid, move cars, and dislodge trees. 'Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves expected,' the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management said on X. Hawaiian authorities downgraded the tsunami threat to 'advisory' level on Wednesday evening, confirming a major tsunami was no longer expected to strike the US island state.
The Australian
a day ago
- Climate
- The Australian
Australia added to tsunami advisory list after 8.8 magnitude earthquake on Russian coast
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has added Australia to its advisory after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Russia. The earthquake hit east-southeast of Kamchatka in Russia's east about 9.24pm AEST, triggering tsunami warnings across the globe. The warnings have extended to Japan, Hawaii, parts of the west coast of North and South America, Alaska, parts of South East Asia, Guam and all Pacific Islands. The centre has also issued a warning to Australia, adding that waves reaching 0.3 to 1m are possible along the coast. A Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said there was no tsunami threat to the country. 'The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre have assessed the event in the Pacific and there is no threat current to the Australian mainland and islands,' they told NewsWire. 'The JATWC will continue to monitor and assess the situation as it evolves.' New Zealand has issued warnings to residents living in coastal areas, advising them to steer clear of beaches and the shore. The National Emergency Management Agency said there was no reason to evacuate unless ordered to do so by authorities. Affected areas include the West Coast of the North Island from Cape Reinga to Raglan, including the West Coast of Auckland and Manukau Harbour, and from Hawera to Whanganui. Other areas affected by the threat include the east and south coasts of the North Island from Cape Reinga to Makara including Whangarei, Great Barrier Island, the east coast of Auckland, Waiheke Island, Waitemata Harbour, Tauranga, Whakatane, Opotiki, Gisborne, Napier, Lake Ferry, the Wellington south coast and Wellington Harbour. NewsWire The home where Erin Patterson served her notorious mushroom lunch that left three of her relatives dead is now subject to a restraining order. NewsWire Developer and former Melbourne Storm player Tye Alroe has died while exercising at a Gold Coast gym.
