Categorized | Earthquake, Featured, News, Tsunami

Strong 7.4M quake in Japan which was under a tsunami warning, no threat to Hawaii

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a tsunami threat message for other parts of the Pacific located closer to the earthquake. However… based on all available data there is NO tsunami threat to Hawaii.

TSUNAMI MESSAGE NUMBER 4
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
2300 UTC MON NOV 21 2016

...PTWC FINAL TSUNAMI THREAT MESSAGE...

THE TSUNAMI FORECAST IS UNCHANGED IN THIS MESSAGE.


PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS
---------------------------------

  * MAGNITUDE      7.3
  * ORIGIN TIME    2100 UTC NOV 21 2016
  * COORDINATES    37.3 NORTH  141.6 EAST
  * DEPTH          10 KM / 6 MILES
  * LOCATION       NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU  JAPAN


EVALUATION
----------

  * AN EARTHQUAKE WITH A PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF 7.3 OCCURRED
    NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN AT 2100 UTC ON MONDAY
    NOVEMBER 21 2016.

  * BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA... THE TSUNAMI THREAT FROM THIS
    EARTHQUAKE HAS NOW PASSED.


TSUNAMI THREAT FORECAST...UPDATED
---------------------------------

  * THE TSUNAMI THREAT HAS NOW LARGELY PASSED.


RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
-------------------

  * GOVERNMENT AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY IMPACTED COASTAL
    AREAS SHOULD MONITOR CONDITIONS AT THE COAST TO DETERMINE IF
    AND WHEN IT IS SAFE TO RESUME NORMAL ACTIVITIES.

  * PERSONS LOCATED NEAR IMPACTED COASTAL AREAS SHOULD STAY ALERT
    FOR INFORMATION AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS FROM LOCAL
    AUTHORITIES.

  * REMAIN OBSERVANT AND EXERCISE NORMAL CAUTION NEAR THE SEA.


POTENTIAL IMPACTS
-----------------

  * SEA LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS MAY CONTINUE ALONG SOME COASTS OF
    JAPAN OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

  * HAZARDOUS TSUNAMI WAVES ARE NOT EXPECTED ANYWHERE OUTSIDE
    OF JAPAN.


TSUNAMI OBSERVATIONS
--------------------

  * THE FOLLOWING ARE TSUNAMI WAVE OBSERVATIONS FROM COASTAL
    AND/OR DEEP-OCEAN SEA LEVEL GAUGES AT THE INDICATED
    LOCATIONS. THE MAXIMUM TSUNAMI HEIGHT IS MEASURED WITH
    RESPECT TO THE NORMAL TIDE LEVEL.

                            GAUGE      TIME OF   MAXIMUM     WAVE
                         COORDINATES   MEASURE   TSUNAMI   PERIOD
    GAUGE LOCATION        LAT   LON     (UTC)     HEIGHT    (MIN)
    -------------------------------------------------------------
    MERA JP              34.9N 139.8E    2212   0.21M/ 0.7FT  08
    OFUNATO HONSHU JP    39.0N 141.8E    2207   0.28M/ 0.9FT  12

  * THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY REPORTS TSUNAMI AMPLITUDES OF
    UP TO 0.90M ALONG THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU JAPAN.


NEXT UPDATE AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
--------------------------------------

  * THIS WILL BE THE FINAL STATEMENT ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS
    NEW INFORMATION IS RECEIVED OR THE SITUATION CHANGES.

  * AUTHORITATIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EARTHQUAKE FROM THE U.S.
    GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT
    EARTHQUAKE.USGS.GOV/EARTHQUAKES -ALL LOWER CASE-.

  * FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EVENT MAY BE FOUND AT
    PTWC.WEATHER.GOV AND AT WWW.TSUNAMI.GOV.

  * COASTAL REGIONS OF HAWAII... AMERICAN SAMOA... GUAM... AND
    CNMI SHOULD REFER TO PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER MESSAGES
    SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE PLACES THAT CAN BE FOUND AT
    PTWC.WEATHER.GOV.

  * COASTAL REGIONS OF CALIFORNIA... OREGON... WASHINGTON...
    BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALASKA SHOULD ONLY REFER TO U.S.
    NATIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER MESSAGES THAT CAN BE FOUND
    AT NTWC.ARH.NOAA.GOV.

USGS: How large does an earthquake have to be to cause a tsunami?

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.

Note that with a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, the probability of an aftershock with a magnitude exceeding 7.5 is not negligible. To date, the largest aftershock recorded has been magnitude 7.1 that did not produce a damaging tsunami.


For Japan

NHK World live TV: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/live/

20161122-0946jst-quake-japan-map-jma

Sea level changes at Ofunato, Japan as of 1:33 p.m. HAST Monday (Nov 21).

Sea level changes at Ofunato, Japan as of 1:33 p.m. HAST Monday (Nov 21).

Tsunami Warnings / Tsunami Advisories

Issued at 12:50 JST, 22 Nov. 2016

Tsunami Advisories lifted

*******************Text********************
Tsunami Advisories have been lifted for the following coastal regions of Japan:
IWATE PREF.
MIYAGI PREF.
FUKUSHIMA PREF.
IBARAKI PREF.

Tsunami Forecast (slight sea level changes)
Slight sea-level changes may be observed in coastal regions, but no tsunami damage is expected.

Pay attention when fishing, swimming or engaging in other marine activities, as there may still be slight sea-level changes.

No Major Tsunami Warnings, Tsunami Warnings or Advisories are currently in effect.


Animation of the forecasted tsunami waves from the 6.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan on Monday, November 21, 2016 (Hawaii Time).

Travel time for any initial sea level changes seen on Hawaii Island is 7-8 hours from the Japan quake event, about 6-7 p.m. HST Monday (Nov 21)

Travel time for any initial sea level changes seen on Hawaii Island is 7-8 hours from the Japan quake event, about 6-7 p.m. HST Monday (Nov 21)

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