Post by SA Hunter on Jan 22, 2017 16:39:38 GMT 10
www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/world/tsunami-warning-after-massive-earthquake-strikes-off-papua-new-guinea/news-story/a41421dfa3042567d21a33d720355dce
A STRONG 8.0 magnitude earthquake has struck off Papua New Guinea, triggering a tsunami alert for several Pacific islands, though that was wound back to cover just PNG and the neighbouring Solomon Islands.
The US Geological Survey measured the quake, about 47km west of Arawa on the north coast of Bougainville island, and the depth was put at 154km.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in an updated advisory that waves of 0.3-1m above tidal level were possible along the coasts of PNG and the Solomons.
It wound back an earlier alert that encompassed Nauru, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Vanuatu, Chuuk and Indonesia.
The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre earlier said there was no threat to Australia, and New Zealand confirmed there was no danger to its coastlines.
Quakes are common in Papua New Guinea, which sits on the Pacific’s “Ring of Fire”, a hot spot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.
“Because of the depth of the great depth of the earthquake, it is unlikely that there will be any significant tsunami activity,” Chris McKee, assistant director at PNG’s Geophysical Observatory Office in Port Moresby told Reuters by phone.
McKee said there were no reports of damage from the epicentre of the quake, which is sparsely populated.
Bougainville Island is one of the islands that make up the Autonomous Region of Bougainville within Papua New Guinea, which is home to about 300,000 people.
A STRONG 8.0 magnitude earthquake has struck off Papua New Guinea, triggering a tsunami alert for several Pacific islands, though that was wound back to cover just PNG and the neighbouring Solomon Islands.
The US Geological Survey measured the quake, about 47km west of Arawa on the north coast of Bougainville island, and the depth was put at 154km.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in an updated advisory that waves of 0.3-1m above tidal level were possible along the coasts of PNG and the Solomons.
It wound back an earlier alert that encompassed Nauru, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Vanuatu, Chuuk and Indonesia.
The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre earlier said there was no threat to Australia, and New Zealand confirmed there was no danger to its coastlines.
Quakes are common in Papua New Guinea, which sits on the Pacific’s “Ring of Fire”, a hot spot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.
“Because of the depth of the great depth of the earthquake, it is unlikely that there will be any significant tsunami activity,” Chris McKee, assistant director at PNG’s Geophysical Observatory Office in Port Moresby told Reuters by phone.
McKee said there were no reports of damage from the epicentre of the quake, which is sparsely populated.
Bougainville Island is one of the islands that make up the Autonomous Region of Bougainville within Papua New Guinea, which is home to about 300,000 people.