Magnitude 7.8 earthquake - Ecuador

[StevieTNZ]

Ecuador has been hit by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, sparking fears of a possible tsunami and causing widespread damage.

The quake's magnitude was originally reported at 7.3, but the US Geological Survey upgraded it to magnitude 7.8, five times more powerful than the original recording.

The quake was 19km deep and centred 27 kilometres south-southeast of Muisne, in a tourist area of fishing ports. At the epicentre, damage was "considerable", the government said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/79010630/73-quake-hits-near-ecuador

 

[davenn]

was about to post on this

It's a HUGE event ! my system overloading for some 10 - 15 minutes
I'm even deeming 7.8 as too small a value ... was more expecting 8.2 - 8.5
Its only the really big events at that distance from me that max out the system

http://www.sydneystormcity.com/seismograms.htmDave

 

[StevieTNZ]

Confirmed deaths:

Ecuador's Vice President Jorge Glas says at least 28 people have been killed in a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit the country's central coast.

Glas said Saturday in a televised address that the dead were located in the cities of Manta, Guayaquil and Portoviejo.

He said the earthquake was the strongest to hit Ecuador in decades.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11624069

 

[Astronuc]

USGS has it ranked as Mag 7.8 - 27km SSE of Muisne, Ecuador
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20005j32#general

2016-04-16 23:58:37 (UTC)
Location: Lat 0.372°N, Long 79.940°W
Depth: 19.2 km (11.9 mi) - fairly shallow, so a lot of damage done.

Ecuador has a history of large subduction zone related earthquakes. Seven magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes have occurred within 250 km of this event since 1900. On May 14th, 1942, a M 7.8 earthquake occurred 43 km south of this April 16th, 2016 event. On January 31st, 1906 a M 8.3 earthquake (reportedly as large as M 8.8 in some sources) nucleated on the subduction zone interface 90 km to the northeast of the April 2016 event, and ruptured over a length of approximately 400-500 km, resulting in a damaging tsunami that caused in the region of 500-1,500 fatalities. The April 2016 earthquake is at the southern end of the approximate rupture area of the 1906 event. A shallow, upper crustal M 7.2 earthquake 240 km east of the April 2016 event on March 6th, 1987 resulted in approximately 1,000 fatalities.

 

[StevieTNZ]

In addition to Ecuador, I've just seen this: https://nz.news.yahoo.com/top-stories/a/31371735/powerful-earthquake-hits-tonga/

 

[StevieTNZ]

Not looking good, my heart goes out to all those affected:

The death toll from Ecuador's biggest earthquake in decades soared to at least 238 on Monday as rescuers using tractors and bare hands hunted desperately for survivors in shattered coastal towns.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/79010630/73-quake-hits-near-ecuador

 

[StevieTNZ]

A 6.2 earthquake shook the coast of Ecuador on Wednesday (Wednesday night NZ Time), just days after a bigger quake battered the area and killed nearly 500 people in a blow to the country's already fragile economy.

The latest earthquake hit 70 km off the Pacific coast town Esmeraldas at a depth of 10 km, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. That was not far from the epicenter of Saturday's (Sunday NZT) 7.8 magnitude quake.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americ...hquake-magnitude-62-strikes-off-ecuador-coast

 

[davenn]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americ...hquake-magnitude-62-strikes-off-ecuador-coast

one of many, many aftershockshey guys ... Uganda is a crazy place with very poor internetDave