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GoingWalkabout · 11-08-2016, 22:12

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the South Pacific Friday afternoon local time (9:26 p.m. EDT Thursday night).

A tsunami warning was issued for Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia.

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the South Pacific just after noon Friday local time (9:26 p.m. EDT Thursday night), according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The tremor occurred at a depth of 6.2 miles, the USGS also reported. The quake's epicenter was 68 miles east of Ile Hunter, New Caledonia, and 320 miles southeast of Isangel, Vanuatu.

(MORE: See Your Weather in Motion)

After the tremor, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. The warning mentioned damaging tsunami waves were possible within 1,000 kilometers of the epicenter, which does not include Australia.

Impacts to the countries in the warning were expected to occur by 11:03 p.m. EDT Thursday night, if at all, the PTWC said.

There have been no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

This is a developing story; please check back frequently for more information.

**JPA Cate** · 11-08-2016, 22:24

The warning has been cancelled. The time here in the SW Pacific is 15:23.
A.

MarkJ · 11-08-2016, 22:30

How do they do the warnings? Cell/mobile phone? What else? Is it on VHF.

GoingWalkabout · 11-08-2016, 22:33

Warning Now CANCELLED

THE TSUNAMI FORECAST IS UPDATED IN THIS MESSAGE.

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

* MAGNITUDE 7.6
* ORIGIN TIME 0127 UTC AUG 12 2016
* COORDINATES 22.7 SOUTH 173.2 EAST
* DEPTH 10 KM / 6 MILES
* LOCATION SOUTHEAST OF LOYALTY ISLANDS

EVALUATION
----------

* AN EARTHQUAKE WITH A PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF 7.6 OCCURRED
SOUTHEAST OF THE LOYALTY ISLANDS AT 0127 UTC ON FRIDAY
AUGUST 12 2016.

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

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

* THERE IS NO LONGER A TSUNAMI THREAT FROM THIS EARTHQUAKE.

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

* REMAIN OBSERVANT AND EXERCISE NORMAL CAUTION NEAR THE SEA.
OTHERWISE... NO ACTION IS REQUIRED.

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

* MINOR SEA LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS MAY OCCUR IN SOME COASTAL AREAS
NEAR THE EARTHQUAKE OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

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-.

**JPA Cate** · 11-08-2016, 22:35

Mark, I don't know what Vanuatu does, but in New Caledonia, we were there one time, and the tsunami warning came over the VHF. Ourselves and one other boat from Noumea, a commercial vessel, left Baie de Moselle and Baie de Orphelinat to get out in deep water, and one other commercial vessel waited outside the reef before entering, all those comms were VHF.

Ann

GoingWalkabout · 11-08-2016, 22:36

In the Final US Government Bulletin following the official cancellation of the tsunami warning the following was stated. Those in coastal areas should take note.

Looks like the islands dodged a big bullet.

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

* REMAIN OBSERVANT AND EXERCISE NORMAL CAUTION NEAR THE SEA.
OTHERWISE... NO ACTION IS REQUIRED.

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

* MINOR SEA LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS MAY OCCUR IN SOME COASTAL AREAS
NEAR THE EARTHQUAKE OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

GoingWalkabout · 11-08-2016, 22:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Mark, I don't know what Vanuatu does, but in New Caledonia, we were there one time, and the tsunami warning came over the VHF. Ourselves and one other boat from Noumea, a commercial vessel, left Baie de Moselle and Baie de Orphelinat to get out in deep water, and one other commercial vessel waited outside the reef before entering, all those comms were VHF.

Ann

I first got an alert from a US Agency that monitors these things. First alert was about the earthquakes. Three in total. First and second minor but the last one was a big one. Great that it wasn't on land. The tsunami warning came as an alert very shortly after the earthquake alert.

By the way it looks like a swarm of earthquakes have taken place from the US West Coast accross the Pacific to South East Asia. It is a very geologically speaking disturbed time at the moment. If I was in South East Asia or the Pacific at the moment I would be listening in for alerts and stay aware.

Glad that Jim and Ann and the other boaters weren't affected.

Alan Mighty · 11-08-2016, 23:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkJ

How do they do the warnings? Cell/mobile phone? What else? Is it on VHF.

Depends where you are and about what locations you are concerned.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, part of NOAA and therefore a US govt agency, invites people to subscribe to its warnings by email, RSS feed, and SMS text messages sent to mobile phones.

In addition, NOAA weather radio carries the messages (in those areas likely to be affected).

Coastal radio stations (e.g. VHF and SSB) in areas likely to be affected also rebroadcast the PWTC warnings.

If you intend cruising such areas, take a Captain Cook at: http://ptwc.weather.gov/ptwc/subscribe.php

Alan Mighty · 11-08-2016, 23:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

The time here in the SW Pacific is 15:23.
A.

Really?!? The SW Pacific has only one time zone? Does NZ know that?

NoTies · 13-08-2016, 13:17

The meteorological and geohazards department here in Vanuatu are completely incompetent and so wrapped up in power plays and politics they seldom perform even the simplest tasks such as passing on tsunami alert sent to them by the Hawaii warning centre. I was physically threatened by met service staff last year because I was warning people about the approach of Cyclone Pam a week before it entered their "area of responsibility". And we all know how that ended for the country.

UNCIVILIZED · 13-08-2016, 15:37

It seems that often, the best warning system is the Coconut Telegraph, AKA word of mouth, much like this thread. As several times I've caught wind of Tsumanis/Earthquakes quite quickly after they've happened, & then called friends in Hawaii, New Zealand, etc. Which gave them quite a few hours advanced notice before the official local warnings started to be put out.
This kind of extra time can Really make a big difference in terms of one's preperations.

So when you hear about these kinds of events, call anyone you know that lives on the same oceanic basin. As even if they're not in the wave's path, they likely know others who will be. Or that need to take precautions.

Oh, & NOAA.gov & the USGS.gov have lots of info on such events.
NOAA is the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association
USGS is the US Geological Survey

**Jim Cate** · 14-08-2016, 00:02

As the memory of the Boxing Day tsunami fades, fewer and fewer yotties respond to warnings. We've been in a warning area twice now, once in New Caledonia, once in NSW. In New Cal, one other anchored boat (out of a couple of hundred) chose to leave the shallow, rock bound harbour and get to deep water. In the NSW case, we were t he only one who responded. When we mentioned this to some of those who remained, the typical response was " nothing happened, so why worry?".

Having many friends who were in the Boxing day event, I worry because of the stories of mayhem that I heard from folks whose experience made them reliable reporters... I never want to experience what many of them did.

Not that big a deal to take a short hitch out to sea...

Jim

El Pinguino · 14-08-2016, 01:01

In Chile they have bloody great sirens.... typically they don't get a lot of notice... I dodged a bullet with the April 2014 Iquique one having gone back down to Antofagasto shortly beforehand....