Massive 8.8 Earth Quake in Chile

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Breaking news. A massive Earth quake hit Chili in the middle of the night and started a tsunami traveling across the Pacific ocean. I hope the tsunami won't hit the countries like Japan or Philippines.
 
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Tsunami warnings now also issued for the N/S-American western coastal line and even other areas like Russia and Australia.
 
Magnitude 8.8 - OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010tfan.php

Very significant quake, and off-shore means risk of tsunami. Fortunately, it was not too shallow.

Location: 35.846°S, 72.719°W
Depth: 35 km (21.7 miles) set by location program

Distances:
100 km (60 miles) NNW of Chillan, Chile
105 km (65 miles) WSW of Talca, Chile
115 km (70 miles) NNE of Concepcion, Chile
325 km (200 miles) SW of SANTIAGO, Chile

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 7.2 km (4.5 miles); set by program

Pretty significant swarm and aftershocks.
Feb 27, 2010
Code: 
 MAG  UTC TIME     LAT       LON     DEPTH   
       h:m:s       deg       deg      km       Region
 5.4  10:54:23   -36.828   -73.336    35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
 5.9  10:38:35   -38.019   -73.575    35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
 5.9  10:30:34   -33.559   -72.636    35.0   OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE 
 5.8  09:59:21   -37.991   -73.467    35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
 5.1  09:21:25   -36.609   -73.218    35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
 5.6  09:00:17   -33.425   -71.625    35.0   VALPARAISO, CHILE 
 5.3  08:53:56   -34.447   -73.397    35.0   OFF COAST OF LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE 
 5.0  08:53:26   -35.073   -71.760    35.0   MAULE, CHILE 
 5.6  08:48:05   -38.584   -75.257    35.0   OFF THE COAST OF ARAUCANIA, CHILE 
 6.1  08:25:29   -34.750   -72.394    35.0   OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE 
 5.5  08:19:23   -33.479   -71.574    35.0   VALPARAISO, CHILE 
 6.9  08:01:24   -37.654   -75.199    39.0   OFF THE COAST OF BIO-BIO, CHILE 
 5.2  07:56:37   -36.933   -73.240    35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
 5.4  07:51:05   -36.399   -72.498    35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
 5.4  07:46:49   -36.795   -72.924    35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
 6.0  07:37:18   -36.837   -72.541    35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
 5.6  07:33:31   -38.007   -73.484    35.7   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
 5.4  07:19:48   -35.811   -72.945    35.0   OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE 
 6.0  07:12:28   -33.807   -71.913    35.0   OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE 
 6.2  06:52:35   -34.735   -72.638    35.0   OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE 
[B] 8.8  06:34:14   -35.846   -72.719    35.0   OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE[/B]

Edit: Date-Time: Friday, February 26, 2010 at 20:31:27 UTC
Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 05:31:27 AM at epicenter

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010teb2.php
 
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The NOAA Pacific tsunami warning center is reporting a wave amplitude of 1.1ft at Easter Island. http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/messages/pacific/2010/pacific.2010.02.27.134506.txt
 
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CNN says the tsunami may reach Hawaii by 12:45 pm local time / 6:45 pm ET (I'm assuming they switched an am/pm):
The earliest estimated arrival for a wave that could affect Hawaii was 12:46 a.m.[sic] local time (6:46 p.m. ET). But evacuations of coastal areas were to begin at 6 a.m. (12 p.m. ET).
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/27/chile.quake/index.html?hpt=T1

Here's a link to NOAA's tsunami warning center: http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/

Actually, they list an earlier ETA:
A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN GENERATED THAT COULD CAUSE DAMAGE ALONG
COASTLINES OF ALL ISLANDS IN THE STATE OF HAWAII. URGENT ACTION
SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PROTECT LIVES AND PROPERTY.

A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF LONG OCEAN WAVES. EACH INDIVIDUAL WAVE
CREST CAN LAST 5 TO 15 MINUTES OR MORE AND EXTENSIVELY FLOOD
COASTAL AREAS. THE DANGER CAN CONTINUE FOR MANY HOURS AFTER THE
INITIAL WAVE AS SUBSEQUENT WAVES ARRIVE. TSUNAMI WAVE HEIGHTS
CANNOT BE PREDICTED AND THE FIRST WAVE MAY NOT BE THE LARGEST.
TSUNAMI WAVES EFFICIENTLY WRAP AROUND ISLANDS. ALL SHORES ARE AT
RISK NO MATTER WHICH DIRECTION THEY FACE. THE TROUGH OF A TSUNAMI
WAVE MAY TEMPORARILY EXPOSE THE SEAFLOOR BUT THE AREA WILL
QUICKLY FLOOD AGAIN. EXTREMELY STRONG AND UNUSUAL NEARSHORE
CURRENTS CAN ACCOMPANY A TSUNAMI. DEBRIS PICKED UP AND CARRIED
BY A TSUNAMI AMPLIFIES ITS DESTRUCTIVE POWER. SIMULTANEOUS HIGH
TIDES OR HIGH SURF CAN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE TSUNAMI HAZARD.

THE ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIME IN HAWAII OF THE FIRST TSUNAMI WAVE IS

1105 AM HST SAT 27 FEB 2010

MESSAGES WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.
 
Haven't heard back from my nephew in Hawaii yet. It's pretty nice that he was on-shore right now, for the sake of his wife and daughter. He was commissioned as a Chief Warrant Officer (2) last year with a specialty in propulsion systems, and has been spending a lot of time at sea.

Thanks for the report, Russ. I had hoped the Honolulu area might be somewhat sheltered, but didn't know about the wrap-around effect.
 
The latest.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100227/ap_on_re_us/quake_tsunami_9
 
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Obviously this is a fast developing story given the magnitude of damage to Chilean infrastructure.

Massive earthquake hits Chile, 147 dead
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100227/ts_nm/us_quake_chile
CONCEPCION, Chile (Reuters) – One of the most powerful earthquakes in decades battered Chile on Saturday, killing at least 147 people, knocking down buildings and triggering a tsunami that rolled menacingly across the Pacific.

Buildings caught fire, major highway bridges collapsed and debris blocked streets across large swathes of central Chile.

A 15-storey building collapsed in Concepcion, the closest major city to the epicenter, and overturned cars lay scattered below a fallen overpass in the capital Santiago. Telephone and power lines went down, making it difficult to assess the full extent of the damage and loss of life.

Chilean President-elect Sebastian Pinera said at least 147 people had died in the 8.8-magnitude quake, which struck at 3:34 a.m. (0634 GMT), sending many people rushing from their beds and onto the streets in fear.

"It came in waves and lasted so long. Three minutes is an eternity. We kept worrying that it was getting stronger, like a terrifying Hollywood movie," said housewife Dolores Cuevas.

. . . .

And this is a really dumb headline - Chile Earthquake: Is Mother Nature Out of Control?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/chileearthquakeismothernatureoutofcontrol

It's just normal behavior - at least one 8 mag earthquake per year, somewhere on the Ring of Fire, Sunda trench and Asia region would be expected.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/eqstats.php
 
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Tsu just spoke with her cousin in Kuwaii. He and the rest of the local community are parked on high ground with plenty of beer, munchies, and binoculars. The Tsunami is expected in Hilo any minute.
 
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The big Island [Hawaii] is officially reporting that the first water-level rise has been observed. So far it is only about three feet, but more is thought to be likely.

Reports from New Zealand suggest that the core of the tsunami should be arriving about an hour late. That would make the eta in Hilo [on the big island] about 2:15 pst.

One spokesman from the Tsunami Center said there are reports of damage from the tsunami in Ventura, California.
 
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Wave height prediction animated:

http://www.stormsurfing.com/cgi/display.cgi?a=npac_height"

Here are the buoy locations near Hawaii, they should be able to see incoming surges.

http://www.stormsurf.com/4cast/mht/hiz.html"

Rhody...

Edit: tsunami warning dropped for Hawaii as of 6:45pm EDT from CBS News
 
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On Friday (The Day before the Quake) I was looking at the Live http://aslwww.cr.usgs.gov/Seismic_Data/heli2.shtml" and noticed something strange,
It looked as though the Earth flat-lined (No noise hence a straight line) for several hours. This was very unusual, normally there is always some ripple but on Friday there was none.
I was wondering if anyone else noticed this and is this a normal occurrence before a big quake?
 
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sas3 said:
On Friday (The Day before the Quake) I was looking at the Live http://aslwww.cr.usgs.gov/Seismic_Data/heli2.shtml" and noticed something strange,
It looked as though the Earth flat-lined (No noise hence a straight line) for several hours. This was very unusual, normally there is always some ripple but on Friday there was none.
I was wondering if anyone else noticed this and is this a normal occurrence before a big quake?
Flat-lined where?

About 10 hours before the MAULE, CHILE quake

Magnitude 7.0 RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN February 26, 2010 -
Friday, February 26, 2010 at 20:31:27 UTC

What threshold is one considering? There are mag 3 and lesser quakes all the time.

The following represents two days or 48 hrs of seismic activity of quakes of Mag 2.5 or greater. Lesser quakes are not considered.
Code: 
Mag   UTC time   Lat deg    Long deg  Depth(km)  Location
2010/02/27
5.2   23:35:15   -33.867    -72.226   34.8   OFFSHORE LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE 
5.7   23:21:13    35.912     70.051  104.9   HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN 
5.8   23:12:35   -34.741    -71.864   35.0   LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE 
5.8   23:02:01   -37.755    -72.713   35.2   ARAUCANIA, CHILE 
5.2   22:22:33   -34.072    -71.308   35.0   REGION METROPOLITANA, CHILE 
4.4   22:22:28    35.623    -96.762    3.8   OKLAHOMA 
5.1   22:20:04   -35.094    -72.712   35.0   OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE 
5.2   22:16:15   -36.491    -73.380   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.0   22:13:52   -34.437    -72.531   35.0   OFFSHORE LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE 
5.2   21:59:08   -36.794    -73.311   34.8   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
3.0   21:58:47    59.772   -152.899  105.8   SOUTHERN ALASKA 
5.0   21:48:26   -33.968    -72.140   28.6   OFFSHORE LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE 
5.2   21:43:11   -35.131    -72.450   35.0   OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE 
4.9   21:41:30   -36.564    -73.509   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.2   21:00:37   -33.855    -73.028   35.0   OFF THE COAST OF VALPARAISO, CHILE 
5.0   20:44:34   -37.893    -73.423   35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.0   20:29:23   -34.689    -73.621   35.0   OFF COAST OF LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE 
2.7   20:23:53    36.058   -117.890    2.7   CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 
4.9   20:05:28   -33.470    -72.470   35.0   OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE 
5.4   19:54:30    10.896    -43.442   10.0   NORTHERN MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE 
5.0   19:46:10   -36.090    -73.332   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.2   19:06:18   -37.473    -73.502   35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
6.3   19:00:08   -33.425    -71.909   34.8   OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE 
5.1   18:41:51   -37.581    -73.501   34.9   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.3   18:23:12   -37.618    -73.818   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.6   18:15:23   -37.527    -73.696   20.8   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.1   18:12:51   -33.847    -71.577   35.0   REGION METROPOLITANA, CHILE 
5.3   17:56:53   -34.688    -71.571   35.0   LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE 
5.5   17:43:37   -36.453    -72.978   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.6   17:24:34   -36.256    -72.927   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.0   17:22:26   -38.043    -73.629   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.5   17:11:49   -33.953    -71.796   35.0   LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE 
5.2   16:50:20   -34.162    -72.010   35.0   LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE 
5.5   16:37:34   -37.509    -73.605   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.2   16:32:21   -34.986    -72.356   35.0   OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE 
5.5   16:27:58   -37.820    -73.404   35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.5   16:21:14   -38.266    -73.434   35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
6.3   15:45:41   -24.588    -65.432   38.2   SALTA, ARGENTINA 
5.1   15:23:06   -34.528    -74.987   35.0   OFF COAST OF LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE 
2.7   15:16:06    64.609   -149.293    1.3   CENTRAL ALASKA 
5.2   15:09:08   -33.890    -71.268   35.0   REGION METROPOLITANA, CHILE 
3.2   15:01:35    36.066   -117.884    1.9   CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 
5.0   14:40:53   -31.321    -74.548   35.0   OFF THE COAST OF COQUIMBO, CHILE 
4.9   14:29:10   -35.028    -71.714   35.0   MAULE, CHILE 
5.2   14:23:28   -34.505    -72.596   35.0   OFFSHORE LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE 
5.0   14:20:00   -37.274    -73.062   35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.0   14:06:47   -37.288    -72.835   35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
3.1   13:56:38    36.065   -117.885    2.3   CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 
5.2   13:54:04   -33.269    -71.834   35.0   OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE 
5.0   13:12:52   -35.014    -71.660   35.0   MAULE, CHILE 
5.1   13:07:42   -38.436    -73.254   35.0   ARAUCANIA, CHILE 
4.9   13:04:51   -37.115    -73.325   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.1   12:58:33   -33.443    -70.944   35.0   REGION METROPOLITANA, CHILE 
5.1   12:46:19   -37.699    -73.681   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.1   12:44:50   -36.999    -73.038   35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
4.9   12:28:48   -34.187    -70.439   35.0   LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE 
5.0   12:23:06   -36.253    -72.266   35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.2   12:19:51    25.979    128.434    9.9   RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN 
5.5   12:03:27   -34.399    -73.825   35.0   OFF COAST OF LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE 
5.4   11:45:03   -36.318    -73.216   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.3   11:27:00   -38.103    -73.587   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.4   10:54:24   -36.828    -73.336   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.9   10:38:36   -38.019    -73.575   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.9   10:30:35   -33.559    -72.636   35.0   OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE 
5.6   10:10:15   -33.701    -72.184   35.0   OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE 
5.8   09:59:21   -37.991    -73.467   35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
3.7   09:40:02    61.853   -150.952   59.3   SOUTHERN ALASKA 
5.1   09:21:26   -36.609    -73.218   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.6   09:00:18   -33.425    -71.625   35.0   VALPARAISO, CHILE 
5.3   08:53:57   -34.447    -73.397   35.0   OFF COAST OF LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE 
5.0   08:53:27   -35.073    -71.760   35.0   MAULE, CHILE 
5.6   08:48:05   -38.584    -75.257   35.0   OFF THE COAST OF ARAUCANIA, CHILE 
5.7   08:31:05   -34.820    -72.443   35.0   OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE 
6.1   08:25:30   -34.750    -72.394   35.0   OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE 
5.5   08:19:24   -33.479    -71.574   35.0   VALPARAISO, CHILE 
5.6   08:13:16   -33.062    -71.702   35.0   OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE 
6.9   08:01:24   -37.654    -75.199   39.0   OFF THE COAST OF BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.4   07:59:56   -36.050    -73.562   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.2   07:56:37   -36.933    -73.240   35.0   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.4   07:51:06   -36.399    -72.498   35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.4   07:46:50   -36.795    -72.924   35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
6.0   07:37:18   -36.837    -72.541   35.0   BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.6   07:33:31   -38.007    -73.484  35.7   OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE 
5.4   07:19:49   -35.811    -72.945  35.0   OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE 
6.0   07:12:29   -33.807    -71.913  35.0   OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE 
3.5   07:10:48    36.062   -117.888   0.6   CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 
2.9   07:04:24    40.138   -121.317   8.6   NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 
2.9   06:56:03    36.073   -117.878   2.5   CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 
6.2   06:52:35   -34.735    -72.638  35.0   OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE 
8.8   06:34:15   -35.846    -72.719  35.0   OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE 
4.8   05:37:30    25.987    128.527  18.3   RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN 
2.5   05:19:42    58.912   -152.897  71.9   KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA 
4.4   05:04:29    -7.196    111.316 246.5   JAVA, INDONESIA 
2.9   01:54:40    62.565   -151.520 105.6   CENTRAL ALASKA 
4.9   01:33:21    25.947    128.384   6.4   RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN 
4.7   01:17:35    52.229    158.672  53.7   NEAR THE EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA, RUSSIA 
5.1   00:48:46    25.989    128.510  32.8   RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN 

2010/02/26
4.9   23:30:59   -11.431    166.285  91.1   SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS 
4.6   21:37:36    31.247    103.614  22.1   EASTERN SICHUAN, CHINA 
2.8   21:05:25    34.809   -116.301   4.1   SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 
7.0   20:31:27    25.902    128.417  22.0   RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN 
2.8   20:12:04    36.057   -117.888   2.4   CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 
2.5   20:11:35    18.716   -155.269  12.5   HAWAII REGION, HAWAII 
2.7   16:49:46    61.996   -150.942  59.5   SOUTHERN ALASKA 
5.1   16:18:57    5.842     125.792  53.7   MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES 
3.7   15:21:59    57.298   -154.890  33.1   KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA 
3.9   15:02:32    32.552   -115.257  15.0   BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO 
2.7   13:22:51    36.179   -117.962   5.9   CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 
2.7   12:46:42    36.051   -117.897   1.0   CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 
3.1   09:02:08    35.571    -97.094   5.0   OKLAHOMA 
5.7   08:37:03    6.394     126.805 117.3   MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES 
2.7   07:30:59    19.024    -67.465   8.7   PUERTO RICO REGION 
2.5   06:14:09    60.721   -150.042  38.1   KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA 
2.9   05:51:17    39.817   -120.043   9.2   NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 
4.8   05:38:18    23.758    122.788  37.8   TAIWAN REGION 
5.4   04:42:30    28.432     86.769  10.0   WESTERN XIZANG 
5.0   04:41:29    0.892     123.194  66.6   MINAHASA, SULAWESI, INDONESIA 
2.7   03:12:35    63.008   -151.024 132.3   CENTRAL ALASKA 
4.3   01:52:20    16.382    -96.533  48.9   OAXACA, MEXICO 
5.5   01:07:58    23.782    122.839  34.7   TAIWAN REGION 
3.4   00:21:20    19.237    -64.527  113.1   VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION 
5.5   00:11:51   -55.882    -5.052  6.0   SOUTHERN MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
 
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Almost all of the seismic displays on this page “http://aslwww.cr.usgs.gov/Seismic_Data/heli2.shtml" (out of order probably).
Normally they look like the line between 22:00 – 00:00 on this page http://aslwww.cr.usgs.gov/Seismic_Data/telemetry_data/MSKU_24hr.html
When there is little activity.
 
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sas3 said:
Almost all of the seismic displays on this page “http://aslwww.cr.usgs.gov/Seismic_Data/heli2.shtml" (out of order probably).
Normally they look like the line between 22:00 – 00:00 on this page http://aslwww.cr.usgs.gov/Seismic_Data/telemetry_data/MSKU_24hr.html
When there is little activity.
The NWAO station is in Narrogin, Australia, and it's relatively quite there. Some activity shows up there on other traces, but it's very low. Checking other stations in areas like Alaska, Oregon, California, Washington state, one will see a lot of noise, even noisier than the MSKU (Masuku, Gabon) station example.
 
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Well, from the beginning scientists were saying this earthquake was not anticipated to create much of a tsunami at all, (1-6 feet), but then they were silenced and fear mongering began. Now these *scientists* that made a fuss over what appeared to be nothing are saying

Scientists acknowledged they overstated the threat, but defended their actions, saying they took the proper steps and learned the lessons of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami that killed thousands of people who didn't get enough warning.
If I recall correctly, the lack of warning in 2004 was due to the lack of an operating tsunami warning system in that part of the world. It was not the lack of media coverage from scientists.

We need to be alert, but not OVERSTATE or EXAGERATE threats. This is making more and more people ignore warnings from so called scientists that seem to care more about getting their names in the news more than making realistic predictions.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/quake_tsunami;_ylt=Aj5.CDchW_C68pkEtXRhdIEUewgF;_ylu=X3oDMTMybmcxZmhsBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMjI4L3F1YWtlX3RzdW5hbWkEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwMyBHBvcwMyBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcmllcwRzbGsDc2NpZW50aXN0c2Rl
 
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Yes - the nations around the Indian Ocean did not (may still not) have a warning system set up to monitor and warn of tsunamis, as is the case for the nations around the Pacific Ocean.

It's a deficiency of governments, not the scientists.
 
Millionths of a second here, millionths of a second there, times 365, times - say - 70 - you can be surprised.
 
Evo said:
Well, from the beginning scientists were saying this earthquake was not anticipated to create much of a tsunami at all, (1-6 feet), but then they were silenced and fear mongering began.

What scientists were silenced? This is not an exact science, so there is no way to know just how bad a tsunami might be.

It's a key point to remember that we cannot under-warn. Failure to warn is not an option for us," said Dai Lin Wang, an oceanographer at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii. "We cannot have a situation that we thought was no problem and then it's devastating. That just cannot happen
 
Evo said:
Well, from the beginning scientists were saying this earthquake was not anticipated to create much of a tsunami at all, (1-6 feet), but then they were silenced and fear mongering began. Now these *scientists* that made a fuss over what appeared to be nothing are saying
While this might be true for the surrounding countries, Chile does appear to have suffered from the generated tsunami. Many deaths are supposed to be attributed to the lack of warning for a tsunami, but the exact number still need to be evaluated. Here an interview with Chile's president: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1969009,00.html"
 
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Monique said:
While this might be true for the surrounding countries, Chile does appear to have suffered from the generated tsunami. Many deaths are supposed to be attributed to the lack of warning for a tsunami, but the exact number still need to be evaluated. Here an interview with Chile's president: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1969009,00.html"

In fact, many people in Chile fled the coast expecting a tsumami, and were then told to go home. Then came the tsunami.

100301-chile-hmed-456p.h2.jpg

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35615455/ns/world_news-chile_earthquake/
 
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Monique said:
While this might be true for the surrounding countries,

Really? Scientists were silenced?
 
Ivan Seeking said:
Really? Scientists were silenced?
No, I was responding to whether the threat of a tsunami was overstated for regions such as Hawaii. I was watching CNN and the anchors were at one point talking about 30 meter waves, which was quickly identified as misinformation. I didn't really get the impression that the threat of a tsunami was overstated by scientists, but the damage was less severe than expected/feared in countries outside Chili.
 
Monique said:
No, I was responding to whether the threat of a tsunami was overstated for regions such as Hawaii. I was watching CNN and the anchors were at one point talking about 30 meter waves, which was quickly identified as misinformation. I didn't really get the impression that the threat of a tsunami was overstated by scientists, but the damage was less severe than expected/feared in countries outside Chili.

Okay, I wasn't sure what you meant to confirm. Also, in some places, esp where funneling occurs, even a six-foot tsunami can be devastating.

These folks have a tough job. Too little information, or a miscalculation based on marginal information, means perhaps thousand of lives lost. Too much warning and they end up with egg on their faces.
 
In 1960 an earthquake off the coast of Chile caused a tsunami that devastated Hilo, Hawaii. Issuing warnings in Hawaii in the wake of this quake was not premature nor over-reacting. Monday-morning quarterbacking in the wake of what might have been another disaster is not scientific in the least.
 
Ivan Seeking said:
What scientists were silenced? This is not an exact science, so there is no way to know just how bad a tsunami might be.
I can't find the original, but here is basically what it was referring to

The computer model Vasily and his co-workers have been fine-tuning for the past several years predicted maximum surges of about 3 feet in coastal towns across Hawaii. Actual tidal gauge measurements from the islands validate that prediction.

There's still some confusion as to why officials in Hawaii initially warned that waves up to 10 feet were possible.

Staffers at NOAA's Pacific Tsunami Warning System in Hawaii haven't completely integrated the new tsunami model into their operations, said Director Charles McCreery. They also weren't sure how reliable the model would be, he added.

The public warning that led to the evacuation of up to 50,000 people from Hawaii's coastlines was based on many factors — including the state's history of deadly tsunamis originating off Chile and reports that some islands in the tsunami's path were battered by waves up to 12 feet tall, McCreery said.

<snip>Forecasters making life-and-death decisions still need a better understanding of how much confidence they can place in the models, McCreery added. But as use of the system becomes routine, it should lead to more accurate predictions and fewer false alarms, he said.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011228052_tsunamilocal02m.html
 
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The 8.8-magnitude earthquake that jolted Chile on Saturday was felt as far away as São Paulo. But NASA scientists are proposing that its repercussions are truly global in a geophysical sense: it likely shifted the Earth's axis by about eight centimeters.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=how-the-earthquake-in-chile-changed-2010-03-02