ديجيتال فابلت

الوسم: Pacific Ring of Fire

  • Tsunami Alert Sent Following 7.8 Magnitude Quake Off Indonesia

    Tsunami Alert Sent Following 7.8 Magnitude Quake Off Indonesia

    A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the northern Molucca Sea near Indonesia’s historic spice island of Ternate on Thursday, according to the United States Geological Survey. This quake prompted a tsunami warning for neighboring Southeast Asian countries. No immediate injuries were reported, but aftershocks reaching up to magnitude 5 were felt. Indonesia has issued tsunami advisories for parts of North Maluku and North Sulawesi provinces.

    Local authorities in Ternate and Tidore, the former spice islands, have been advised to prepare residents for potential evacuations. Images broadcasted on Metro TV showed damage to buildings in affected areas. The USGS revised the quake’s initial magnitude from 7.8 down to 7.4 and indicated it occurred at a depth of 35 kilometers (about 22 miles), deeper than the earlier estimate of 10 kilometers (6 miles).

    The quake’s epicenter was approximately 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Ternate, a city with a population of over 200,000. Tsunami threats extend to the coasts of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia within 620 miles (1,000 km) of the epicenter. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center predicts waves between 0.3 meters and 1 meter (roughly 1 to 3 feet) could impact some Indonesian coastal regions, while smaller waves under 0.3 meters (about 1 foot) might reach the shores of Guam, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

    Japan’s meteorological agency warned that waves up to 0.2 meters (around 8 inches) are possible, but no damage is expected. Indonesia’s location along the Pacific Ring of Fire—an area of significant seismic activity where tectonic plates converge—means earthquakes are frequent in the region.

  • Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Hits Alaska Peninsula

    Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Hits Alaska Peninsula

    A representation of the Richter scale measuring earthquakes. — Reuters/File

    LOS ANGELES: A 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Alaska on Wednesday, leading to a tsunami warning issued by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

    The quake struck around 12:37 PM local time (2037 GMT), with its epicenter approximately 54 miles (87 kilometers) south of Sand Point, as reported by the USGS. It occurred at a relatively shallow depth of 20.1 kilometers.

    In the aftermath of the tremor, officials issued a tsunami warning for the southern regions of Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula.

    “A tsunami has been confirmed, and impacts are anticipated,” stated the National Tsunami Warning Center based in Palmer, Alaska.

    The specific warning area included “South Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula, as well as the Pacific coasts from Kennedy Entrance, Alaska (40 miles southwest of Homer) to Unimak Pass, Alaska (80 miles northeast of Unalaska),” as indicated by the center.

    For now, initial data shows that tsunami alerts have not been extended to other areas, according to the NTWC.

    Alaska is situated within the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire.

    In March 1964, the state experienced a massive 9.2-magnitude earthquake, the largest ever recorded in North America, which devastated Anchorage and caused a tsunami that impacted the Gulf of Alaska, the U.S. West Coast, and Hawaii.

    That disaster claimed over 250 lives due to both the earthquake and resulting tsunami.

    In July 2023, a separate 7.2-magnitude earthquake occurred off the Alaskan Peninsula, but fortunately, there were no significant damages reported.