သတိေပးခ်က္ ဆူနာမီ ေျမငလ်င္ အေၾကာင္း (Recently, Tsunami warning in Asia) (126)

Tsunami watch still in effect Indian Ocean April 11, 2012, but ‘does not look major’

April 11, 2012 earthquake in Indian Ocean

The quake was off the coast of northern Sumatra in Indonesia, where a 9.1-magnitude quake on December 26, 2004 triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people.


The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a tsunami watch today (April 11, 2012) after an 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck in the Indian Ocean, off the west coast of northern Sumatra in Indonesia. The quake struck at 8:38 UTC today. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center officials later told Reuters that a tsunami measuring 17 cm (6.7 inches) was generated in the Indian Ocean. Although measurable, the tsunami “does not look major,” officials said. Reuters reported at 4:10 Indian Standard Time (10:40 UTC) today:

Victor Sardina, a geophysicist on duty at the Hawaii-based center, said the total vertical measurement of the wave, according to monitoring gauges, was 35 cm (13.8 inches), making the height 17 cm (6.7 inches).

This official said it does not look like a major tsunami, but the Pacific Warning Center is still monitoring as tsunamis come in waves, he said.
The watch is still in effect at this writing (11:15 UTC on April 11) for Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Maldives and other Indian Ocean islands, Malaysia, Pakistan, Somalia, Oman, Iran, Bangladesh, Kenya, South Africa and Singapore.
Read tsunami watch bulletin issued 10:14 UTC today from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

According to the Washington Post, the earthquake was felt in Singapore, Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia and India.
Here are the specifics of the earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS):

Date/Time Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 08:38:38 UTC
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 02:38:38 PM at epicenter
Location 2.348°N, 93.073°E
Depth 33 km (20.5 miles)
Region OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
Distances
434 km (269 miles) SW of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
550 km (341 miles) SW of Lhokseumawe, Sumatra, Indonesia
963 km (598 miles) W of KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia
1797 km (1116 miles) WNW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia
Did you feel it? Report to the USGS

The quake took place 434 kilometers (269 miles) from Banda Aceh in Sumatra, Indonesia, the site of three-quarters of the deaths from the 2004 earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia.
Bottom line: An 8.7 magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean today (April 11, 2012) triggered a tsunami watch, but Pacific Tsunami Warning Center officials said later that the tsunami, although measurable, “does not look major.” A watch means there is the potential for a tsunami, not that one is imminent. The quake happened the same area where a 9.1-magnitude earthquake in late 2004 caused a tsunami that killed 230,000 people.
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by Deborah Byrd



Pictures Sri Lankans leave their houses after the government announced a Tsunami warning in Colombo


Sri Lankans leave their houses after the government announced a Tsunami warning in Colombo April 11, 2012. Sri Lanka's Meteorological Department issued a tsunami warning on Wednesday following an 8.7 magnitude earthquake near Banda Aceh in Indonesia. Tremors were felt in several parts of the island nation and many people were seen evacuating offices near the World Trade Centre in Colombo. "There is a threat of tsunami due to the earthquake in Indonesia. We ask all people in the coastal area to move to safer areas," a Meteorological Department official said. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte (SRI LANKA - Tags: DISASTER)


Credit: Reuters

Published date: 04/11/2012



Indian Ocean tsunami watch canceled


April 11, 2012 (LBO) - A tsunami watch issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii for the Indian Ocean, which prompted Sri Lanka to ask coastal residents to move to high ground, has been cancelled.
Residents of Sri Lankas' coastal regions rushed to safety after authorities issued the evacuation order following a strong earthquake off Indonesia which generated a tsunami.
"... the tsunami watch is cancelled for both main shock and aftershock," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said in an update.
It said some small tsunami waves had been reported off the eastern port of Trincomalee.
Hawaii's Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has said an earthquake of 8.7 magnitude had occurred off the coast of Northern Sumatra in Indonesia Wednesday generating a tsunami but wave action monitored initially were around a foot in Indonesia.
It said that for any affected areas when no major waves have occurred for at least two hours after the estimated arrival time of damaging waves, then local authorities can assume the threat is passed.
Waves were initially estimated to hit around 4.00 pm in Sri Lanka's eastern and southern coasts.
But the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said danger to boats and coastal structures can continue for several hours due to rapid currents as local conditions can cause a wide variation in tsunami wave action.
It said the all clear determination must be made by local authorities.



Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Published: April 11, 2012 6:10AM


Indian Ocean tsunami watch issued after massive earthquake hits Indonesia coast BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) -- A tsunami watch was issued for countries across the Indian Ocean after a large earthquake hit waters off Indonesia on Wednesday, triggering widespread panic as residents along coastlines fled to high ground in cars and on the backs of motorcycles. Some were crying. Others screamed "God as great" as they poured from their homes. The U.S. Geological Survey said the 8.7-magnitude quake was centered 20 miles (33 kilometers) beneath the ocean floor around 269 miles (434 kilometers) from Aceh's provincial capital. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said a tsunami watch was in effect for Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Maldives and other Indian Ocean islands, Malaysia, Pakistan, Somalia, Oman, Iran, Bangladesh, Kenya, South Africa and Singapore. A tsunami watch means there is the potential for a tsunami, not that one is imminent.

- Asia: Indonesia's Aceh Province was hit by 8.7 magnitude earthquake (USGS revises quake magnitude down to 8.7) late Wednesday. Tsumani warnings were issued for parts of Indonesia, Andaman Islands, Sri Lanka and southern states of India.

Acehnese people try to go to higher ground after a powerfull earthquake hit the western coast of Sumatera in Banda Aceh on April 11, 2012. A massive earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sumatra island, U.S. and Indonesian monitors reported, prompting an Indian Ocean-wide tsunami alert.

Photograph by: CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN , AFP/Getty Images

Jakarta — Southeast Asian nations issued tsunami alerts and urged people to move to safety away from coastlines after a massive 8.6 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra Wednesday.
Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Malaysia issued evacuation instructions as U.S. monitors issued an Indian Ocean-wide tsunami watch after the quake, which according to the U.S. Geological Survey struck off the coast of Sumatra at 2:38 pm at a depth of 22 kilometres.
USGS had initially reported it as an 8.9-magnitude quake.
An analyst at Indonesia's Geophysics and Meteorology agency said five of the nation's provinces — Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Bengkulu and Lampung — were at potential risk.
Sri Lanka and India issued tsunami warnings while Thailand urged people on the Andaman coast, a popular tourist destination, to move to safety. Malaysia ordered a coastal evacuation.
A Sri Lanka government statement said potential waves could hit the island's eastern coast by about 10:40 GMT and urged an orderly evacuation of the coastal strip.
"There is a strong possibility of a tsunami hitting the island after the earthquake in Indonesia," meteorological department deputy director M. D. Dayananda said.
He said the quake in Indonesia was felt in Sri Lanka, which is 1,340 kilometres northwest of the quake epicentre.
India issued a tsunami warning for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, located in the Indian Ocean.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service issued a red high-level warning for the islands, and also put out lower alerts for the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states in the southeast of the country.
Thailand's National Disaster Warning Centre advised people in the area to move to higher places and stay as far away as possible from the sea. The quake swayed buildings in the capital Bangkok.
Australian Bonnie Muddle, vacationing on the Thai resort island of Phuket at the time of the quake, said people were being evacuated from popular tourist areas including Krabi and Phang Nga Bay.
"Everyone is getting a little concerned over here," she told AFP.
On December 26, 2004 a 9.2-magnitude earthquake off Sumatra generated a catastrophic tsunami that wrought devastation across southern Asia, killing an estimated 220,000 people.
Last year, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake caused a tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan, killing some 19,000 people.
On Wednesday Japan's Meteorological Agency said that there was no risk of a tsunami affecting Japanese coasts.
Geoscience Australia, Canberra's geohazards agency, said there was no risk to Australia from the jolt. Taiwan and New Zealand also said the earthquake posed no threat to them.

 

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