Powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake strikes near the vanuatu islands

[Megan]

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) — Major 7.5-magnitude earthquake strikes near the Vanuatu Islands.

http://wireupdate.com/wires/5682/pow...nuatu-islands/

[Megan]

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) — Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issues tsunami warning for the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

http://wireupdate.com/wires/5683/tsu...new-caledonia/

[Megan]

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- A major earthquake struck off the Vanuatu Islands on early Friday, seismologists said, prompting tsunami warnings for nearby coasts.

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake at 4.14 a.m. local time (1714 UTC Thursday) was centered about 214 kilometers (133 miles) north-northwest of Santo, Vanuatu. It struck about 36.1 kilometers (22.4 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which initially measured the strength of the earthquake at 7.6, immediately issued a tsunami warning for the Solomon Islands, the Vanuatu Islands, and New Caledonia.

"It is not known that a tsunami was generated," the center said in its warning. "This warning is based only on the earthquake evaluation. An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines in the region near the epicenter within minutes to hours."

http://wireupdate.com/wires/5684/tsu...e-off-vanuatu/

[Megan]

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquak...s2010wubj.html

[Megan]

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- Australia says no tsunami threat to Australia after earthquake off the Vanuatu Islands.

[yogi3939]

And the other shoe has dropped.

MAP 7.2 2010/05/27 17:14:48 -13.710 166.507 36.1 VANUATU





Earthquake Details


Magnitude
7.2

Date-Time

• Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 17:14:48 UTC
• Friday, May 28, 2010 at 04:14:48 AM at epicenter
• Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location
13.710°S, 166.507°E

Depth
36.1 km (22.4 miles)

Region
VANUATU

Distances
215 km (135 miles) NNW of Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu

340 km (210 miles) SSE of Lata, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Isl.
485 km (300 miles) NNW of PORT-VILA, Efate, Vanuatu
2070 km (1290 miles) NE of BRISBANE, Queensland, Australia

Location Uncertainty
horizontal +/- 8.6 km (5.3 miles); depth +/- 21.2 km (13.2 miles)

Parameters
NST= 69, Nph= 69, Dmin=857.7 km, Rmss=1.26 sec, Gp= 29°,

M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=8

Source

• USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Event ID
us2010wubj

[Megan]

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- A major earthquake struck off the Vanuatu Islands on early Friday, seismologists said, prompting tsunami warnings for nearby coasts.

The 7.2-magnitude earthquake at 4.14 a.m. local time (1714 UTC Thursday) was centered about 215 kilometers (135 miles) north-northwest of Luganville, a city on the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu. It struck about 36.1 kilometers (22.4 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which initially measured the strength of the earthquake at 7.6, immediately issued a tsunami warning for the Solomon Islands, the Vanuatu Islands, and New Caledonia.

"It is not known that a tsunami was generated," the center said in its warning. "This warning is based only on the earthquake evaluation. An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines in the region near the epicenter within minutes to hours."

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland or islands.

Based on the initial magnitude of 7.6, the European Union Joint Research Centre estimated that the maximum tsunami wave height would likely be 0.85 meter.

http://wireupdate.com/wires/5687/tsu...atu-islands-2/

[yogi3939]

Well we knew it was coming. Yogi, have there been any smaller earthquakes in the area lately? Just wondering if there was something leading up to this.

I don't know if there is a connection but the most recent Vanatu quake was on 5/23.

MAP 5.5 2010/05/23 20:19:40 -17.914 168.796 129.2 VANUATU

And one before that on 5/22.

MAP 5.0 2010/05/22 14:27:08 -14.053 166.969 34.7 VANUATU

They do look big enough to be connected don't they.

[Cornerstone]

Breaking now on BBC News

Tsunami alert issued for Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia after earthquake


http://news.bbc.co.uk/

[Megan]

An aftershock was recorded at 4.45 a.m. local time (1745 UTC Thursday), the U.S. Geological Survey said, but its magnitude was not immediately known.

[Megan]

A moderate aftershock was recorded at 4.45 a.m. local time (1745 UTC Thursday), the U.S. Geological Survey said, which put the strength of the earthquake at 5.2.

[yogi3939]

So far USGS is showing two moderate to strong aftershacks.

MAP 5.2 2010/05/27 17:45:30 -13.656 166.780 35.0 VANUATU

MAP 5.7 2010/05/27 17:24:24 -13.893 166.640 35.0 VANUATU

[yogi3939]

Well, I'm not the earthquake expert, but those look strong enough to me to warrant a possible connection. The first one was pretty shallow wasn't it? I haven't seen the depths of the after shocks yet, but the initial one probably caused some damage wouldn't it?

The first one in my second post back was 129 km deep and the second one was 37 km deep.

The 7.2 was 36 km deep and the two aftershocks from it were 35 km deep.

So it looks like the first 129 deep one could have destabilized the crust above it and led to the others. But that is pure speculation without much more technical data on them than I have.

[Caver]

Now USGS has downgraded to a 7.2

Shucks, that's still strong enough to quiver my jello.

Yogi, your zipper posts of the past few months just keep rattling around in me noggin.

[Caver]

You're right Caver. That's a lot stronger earthquake than I ever care to be in.

I was in a 7.2 out in Idaho surrounded by guards and a very high fence.....in a nuclear reactor facility surrounded by 3 operating reactors and one expended core facility.

No thank you.....not again. Can't stop the quakes but can control how many stupids I employ in selecting a place to work.

[yogi3939]

New 6.4 quake just a little bit ago. whole lotta shakin' going on there today.

MAP 6.4 2010/05/27 20:48:00 -13.641 166.713 32.2 VANUATU

[Adoration]

I was in a 7.2 out in Idaho surrounded by guards and a very high fence.....in a nuclear reactor facility surrounded by 3 operating reactors and one expended core facility.

No thank you.....not again. Can't stop the quakes but can control how many stupids I employ in selecting a place to work.

The highest I've been in is a 7.1, and it was scary. It was the Northridge quake in '93 (i think), and although we were 64 miles away, it did a lot of damage to powerlines, and shook water out of our spa.

Then when I lived in Claremont, there was a 6.1 in Upland, but because we were so close to the epicenter, many brick chimneys were crumbled in that quake. I had some beautiful vases that my Grandparent's got in China, and were irreplacable. These jumped off the shelves, and smashed, along with the spice and cans in my cupboards.
Believe me, now in EQ country, EVERYTHING is bolted or stuck down!

[ByFaithIFly]

I'm really surprised,Thankful,but surprised that their has not been one serious tsumani associated with these big earthquakes we've been having lately.Hope it continues.

[yogi3939]

It looka like Vanatu isn't done shaking yet. It finished off the UTC day with a 5.0 that was later downgraded to a 4.9 and now there are two more aftershocks, a 5.1 followed by a 5.5. That makes a total of 7 in just slightly over 12 hours. I hope they are just the aftershocks we are used to seeing after a big quake and not leading up to another big one.

[yogi3939]

It is now 3:30 PM (eastern) Saturday 5/29/2010 and it looks like Vanatu is not done shaking yet.

There are still 4-1/2 hours to go in the UTC day and Vanatu has had 4 more moderate aftershocks. But what I found interesting was the progression from deeper to shallower with just a few exceptions. While the progression is not perfect there does seem to be a trend from more deep events to more shallow events.

That makes me wonder if something is rising from the depths of the earth, like a magma plume, that could lead to another big volcanic eruption.

MAP 5.0 2010/05/29 18:02:35 -19.476 169.186 167.5 VANUATU

MAP 5.0 2010/05/29 11:47:43 -13.952 166.662 35.0 VANUATU

MAP 4.9 2010/05/29 11:15:53 -13.863 166.562 34.8 VANUATU

MAP 5.0 2010/05/29 09:10:30 -13.574 166.585 35.0 VANUATU

These were copied and pasted from the thread I do my daily earthquake updates on.

MAP 5.2 2010/05/27 17:45:30 -13.656 166.780 35.0 VANUATU

MAP 5.7 2010/05/27 17:24:24 -13.893 166.640 35.0 VANUATU

MAP 7.2 2010/05/27 17:14:48 -13.710 166.507 36.1 VANUATU

MAP 6.4 2010/05/27 20:48:00 -13.641 166.713 32.2 VANUATU

MAP 5.0 2010/05/27 23:38:06 -14.185 167.260 45.3 VANUATU

MAP 6.4 2010/05/27 20:48:00 -13.641 166.713 32.2 VANUATU

MAP 5.2 2010/05/27 17:45:30 -13.656 166.780 35.0 VANUATU

MAP 5.7 2010/05/27 17:24:24 -13.893 166.640 35.0 VANUATU

MAP 7.2 2010/05/27 17:14:48 -13.710 166.507 36.1 VANUATU

MAP 5.5 2010/05/23 20:19:40 -17.914 168.796 129.2 VANUATU

MAP 5.0 2010/05/22 14:27:08 -14.053 166.969 34.7 VANUATU

MAP 4.7 2010/05/11 04:58:42 -20.626 169.141 85.2 VANUATU

MAP 5.0 2010/05/06 11:24:29 -18.802 168.435 66.6 VANUATU

MAP 5.0 2010/05/01 07:26:36 -15.046 167.365 164.5 VANUATU

MAP 5.1 2010/04/29 00:40:31 -13.239 167.067 200.4 VANUATU

MAP 4.9 2010/04/14 12:36:38 -18.707 167.260 10.0 VANUATU

MAP 4.9 2010/03/23 07:44:30 -18.879 169.583 10.0 VANUATU

MAP 4.9 2010/03/22 16:26:32 -15.219 167.457 115.7 VANUATU

MAP 5.3 2010/03/21 23:41:33 -14.673 167.097 99.2 VANUATU

MAP 5.1 2010/03/10 05:19:06 -18.476 168.915 215.1 VANUATU

MAP 5.4 2010/03/06 12:10:57 -13.125 166.580 92.7 VANUATU

MAP 6.4 2010/03/04 14:02:31 -13.616 167.135 200.2 VANUATU