Topic: Japanese Quake and Pacific Tsunami

[Nichi]

Earthquake Science: The Japanese Quake Explained
Published March 11, 2011

FoxNews.com

A powerful tsunami spawned by the largest earthquake in Japan's recorded history slammed the eastern coast Friday, sweeping away boats, cars, homes and people as widespread fires burned out of control. Tsunami warnings blanketed the entire Pacific, as far away as South America, Canada, Alaska and the entire U.S. West Coast.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the 2:46 p.m. quake was a magnitude 8.9, the biggest earthquake to hit Japan since officials began keeping records in the late 1800s. Geologist Harley Benz told Fox News it was the fifth largest earthquake in the last hundred years.

What caused the gigantic Japanese earthquake, and will it be followed with other quakes? Here are answers to these and other questions.

What caused the earthquake?

The massive earthquake near the east coast of Honshu, Japan, occurred as a result of faults on or near the subduction zone -- the interface plate boundary between the Pacific and North America plates, the USGS said.

The Pacific plate thrusts underneath Japan at the Japan Trench, and dips to the west beneath Eurasia; these rocky plates cover the planet like a giant jigsaw puzzle and creep past one another at a very slow rate. The Pacific plate moves approximately westwards with respect to the North America plate at a velocity of 3.2 inches per year.

The release of energy as the the two plates move past each other is what causes the earthquakes.

What does magnitude 8.9 mean?

"It's comparable in size to the earthquake in Chile last year, that was a magnitude 8.8. And very similar kinds of ruptures in both cases," Robert Williams, a geologist with the USGS told Fox News.

Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake. Since magnitudes are given on a logarithmic scale, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake would release 10 times as much energy as a 6.0-magnitude temblor. Geoscientists also look at an earthquake's intensity, which measures the strength of shaking produced by the earthquake at a certain location and is determined from the effects that shaking has on people, structures and the environment.

What's the potential for future aftershocks? And foreshocks?

The March 11 earthquake was preceded by a series of large foreshocks over the previous two days.

"There was a 7.2 on March 9, not far from the epicenter of the magnitude 8.9. It looks at this point like that was a foreshock of the 8.9 event," Williams told Fox News. The foreshocks continued with a further three earthquakes greater than 6.0 magnitude on the same day.

A 4.5 magnitude earthquake recently hit Hawaii as well, but experts say it is unrelated to the gigantic Japanese quake.

"There's been a series of small earthquakes near the big island of Hawaii where this event happened, and it may be related to the volcanic eruption that's been taking place for several days," Williams said.

There have been dozens of large aftershocks since, however, and hundreds of small ones with more to come.

"We've got 35 [aftershocks] now greater than magnitude 5 -- and there's probably hundreds of magnitude 3 and 4." There have been 13 greater than magnitude 6, he said.

"Over the next month, there will be thousands of aftershocks -- many of them felt," he said.

Is there a possibility of an even larger aftershock?

"There's always a  slight chance of a larger earthquake," Williams said. "But I'd say it's a very low possibility. What we are seeing so far is that there's a very good chance of magnitude 6 and 7 earthquakes to continue, in an aftershock sequence."

What was the world's deadliest earthquake?

While the death toll in Haiti is still unknown, the deadliest earthquake in history struck that struck Shaanxi, China, in 1556, killing an estimated 830,000 people.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/03/11/earthquake-science-japanese-quake-explained/#ixzz1GIj85Pb7

[Nichi]

Residents ordered to evacuate after Japan nuke plant is rocked by giant earthquake
Move comes after state of emergency declared at two nuclear facilities

    * Cooling system failed at Fukushima No. 1 plant after quake
    * Fire reported at Onagawa nuclear facility

TOKYO — The Japanese government has issued an evacuation order to thousands of residents near a nuclear power plant rocked by the giant 8.9-magnitude earthquake that hit the Pacific Rim nation Friday.

Japan's nuclear safety agency said the order applied to more than 2,800 people followed an government emergency declaration at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant northeast of Tokyo after its cooling system failed in the wake of the quake.

The agency said workers are currently scrambling to restore cooling water supply at the facility, but that there was no prospect for an immediate success.

The plant, which is in Onahama city, about 170 miles northeast of Tokyo, experienced a mechanical failure in the backup power generation system to supply water needed to cool the reactor. The reactor core remains hot even after a shutdown.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said that the plant was not in immediate danger of radiation leak.

Secretary speaks
"We launched the measure so we can be fully prepared for the worst scenario," Edano added. "We are using all our might to deal with the situation."

Meanwhile, an administrator at the Tohoku Electric Power Co's nearby Onagawa facility said the process for the cooling reactor is "not going as planned," adding that "nuclear emergency situation" has been declared. The company asked people nearby to stay calm, the official TV news channel NHK reported.
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A fire broke out at the plant following the quake, the Kyodo news agency said. The blaze occurred in a turbine building and was quickly extinguished. Smoke was seen coming from the building, which is separate from the plant's reactor.

Another plant at Onagawa, which is in the worst-hit Miyagi prefecture and further north from the Fukushima facility, also is experiencing a water leak, though it is unclear whether the incident is signficant.

Emergency cooling

The four Japanese nuclear power plants closest to the epicenter of the quake have been safely shut down, the United Nations atomic watchdog said Friday. Eleven nuclear reactors were automatically shut down in the quake-affected area, the government said.
Live Blog: Latest updates on aftermath of Japan quake

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said: "Parts of nuclear plants were automatically shut down but we haven't confirmed any effects induced by radioactive materials outside the facilities."

The quake struck just under 250 miles northeast of Tokyo, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was followed by more than a dozen aftershocks, one as strong as 7.1.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42025882/ns/world_news-asiapacific/

[Nichi]

TOKYO — The biggest earthquake to hit Japan in 140 years struck Friday, triggering a 10-metre tsunami that pounded the country's east coast and prompted advisories along Canada's West Coast.

Hundreds were believed to be dead following the disaster, according to reports from police, and the extent of the destruction along a lengthy stretch of Japan's coastline suggested the toll could rise significantly.

The Red Cross in Geneva said the wall of water was higher than some Pacific islands and a tsunami warning was issued for almost the entire Pacific basin.

Another unnerving report was that the Japanese government had ordered the evacuation affecting 2,000 residents near a nuclear plant in Fukushima.

Earlier the government declared an atomic power emergency but said no radiation leaks were detected among its reactors. The plant had shut down but a reactor cooling system failure had led to the evacuation order.

"An instruction has been issued to residents within a radius of three kilometres to evacuate and those within three to 10 kilometres to stay indoors," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano.

"This is an evacuation instruction just for precaution, and there has been no radiation leak from the reactor."

Meanwhile, the Philippines and Indonesia issued tsunami alerts, reviving memories of the giant tsunami, which struck Asia in 2004.

There were several strong aftershocks. In Tokyo, there was widespread panic. An oil refinery near the city was on fire, with dozens of storage tanks under threat.

"People are flooding the streets. It's incredible. Everyone is trying to get home but I didn't see any taxis in Ginza, where there are usually plenty," said Koji Goto, a 43-year-old Tokyo resident.

There were no reports of any Canadians being injured or killed. There are 1,512 Canadian citizens registered with the embassy in Tokyo.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a tsunami advisories for the B.C. coast.

Advisories, one threat level below warnings, are issued when a potential tsunami "may produce strong currents or waves dangerous to those in or near water," but when "significant widespread inundation" is not expected.

The first waves were expected to hit North American shores as early as 6 a.m. local time, although just how big or severe they would be was not known.

Prime Minister Harper and his wife, Laureen, offered their condolences to the victims in Japan, and his office said they were keeping an eye on developments on the West Coast.

"We are closely monitoring the potential threat of a tsunami resulting from today's earthquake in Japan," said a statement from the Prime Minister's office.

"Canada will stand by the people of Japan during this difficult moment."

The 8.9-magnitude quake, the most powerful since Japan started keeping records 140 years ago, caused many injuries and sparked fires, while the tsunami prompted warnings to people to move to higher ground in coastal areas.

"The earthquake has caused major damage in broad areas in northern Japan," Prime Minister Naoto Kan told reporters.

About 4.4 million homes were without power in northern Japan, media said. A hotel collapsed in the city of Sendai and people were feared buried in the rubble.

A ship carrying 100 people had been swept away by the tsunami, Kyodo News Agency added.

Electronics giant Sony Corp., one of the country's biggest exporters, shut six factories, as air force jets raced toward the northeast coast to determine the extent of the damage.

The Bank of Japan, which has been struggling to boost the anemic economy, said it would do its utmost to ensure financial market stability as the yen and Japanese shares fell.

The quake struck just before the Tokyo stock market closed, pushing the Nikkei down to end at a five-week low. Nikkei futures trading in Osaka tumbled as much as 4.7 per cent in reaction to the news.

"I was terrified and I'm still frightened," said Hidekatsu Hata, 36, manager of a Chinese noodle restaurant in Tokyo, where buildings shook violently. "I've never experienced such a big quake before."

The earthquake was the fifth most powerful to hit the world in the past century.

TV footage showed a muddy wall of water carrying debris across a large swath of coastal farmland near the city of Sendai, which has a population of one million. Ships in once coastal area were lifted from the sea into a harbour where they lay helplessly on their side.

Sendai is 300 kilometres northeast of Tokyo and the epicentre at sea was not far away.

TV footage showed boats, cars and trucks tossed around like toys in the water after a small tsunami hit the town of Kamaichi in northern Japan. An overpass, location unknown, appeared to have collapsed and cars were turning around and speeding away.

Kyodo said there were reports of fires in Sendai where waves carried cars across the runway at the airport.

"The building shook for what seemed a long time and many people in the newsroom grabbed their helmets and some got under their desks," Reuters correspondent Linda Sieg said in Tokyo. "It was probably the worst I have felt since I came to Japan more than 20 years ago."

The quake was the biggest since records began 140 years ago, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. It surpasses the Great Kanto quake of Sept. 1, 1923, which had a magnitude of 7.9 and killed more than 140,000 people in the Tokyo area.

The 1995 Kobe quake caused $100 billion in damage and was the most expensive natural disaster in history. Economic damage from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was estimated at about $10 billion.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. The country accounts for about 20 per cent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

[Nichi]

St Louis, near the center of the US, was "moved" an inch, concomitant to the quake.

[Nichi]

Now.

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 010
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 1432Z 11 MAR 2011
THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO AREAS WITHIN AND BORDERING THE PACIFIC
OCEAN AND ADJACENT SEAS...EXCEPT ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...
WASHINGTON...OREGON AND CALIFORNIA.
... A WIDESPREAD TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT ...
A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR
 JAPAN / RUSSIA
 TAIWAN / YAP / PHILIPPINES / MARSHALL IS. / BELAU /
 POHNPEI / CHUUK / KOSRAE / INDONESIA / PAPUA NEW GUINEA /
 NAURU / SOLOMON IS. / KIRIBATI / HOWLAND-BAKER /
 HAWAII / TUVALU / PALMYRA IS. / VANUATU / TOKELAU / JARVIS IS. /
 WALLIS-FUTUNA / SAMOA / AMERICAN SAMOA / COOK ISLANDS / NIUE /
 FIJI / NEW CALEDONIA / TONGA / MEXICO /
 KERMADEC IS / FR. POLYNESIA / PITCAIRN /
 GUATEMALA / EL SALVADOR / COSTA RICA / NICARAGUA / ANTARCTICA /
 PANAMA / HONDURAS / CHILE / ECUADOR / COLOMBIA / PERU
THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.  ONLY
NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE
DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND
ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
 ORIGIN TIME -  0546Z 11 MAR 2011
 COORDINATES -  38.3 NORTH  142.4 EAST
 DEPTH       -   24 KM
 LOCATION    -  NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU  JAPAN
 MAGNITUDE   -  8.9
MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY
 GAUGE LOCATION        LAT   LON    TIME        AMPL         PER
 MANUS PG              2.0S 147.4E  1206Z   0.47M /  1.6FT  60MIN
 LOMBRUM MANUS IS PG   2.0S 147.4E  1205Z   0.49M /  1.6FT  60MIN
 BETIO TARAWA KI       1.4N 172.9E  1225Z   0.21M /  0.7FT  24MIN
 NAURU                 0.5S 166.9E  1156Z   0.20M /  0.7FT  24MIN
 NAWILIWILI KAUAI     22.0N 159.4W  1343Z   0.76M /  2.5FT  12MIN
 HILO HAWAII          19.7N 155.1W  1342Z   1.04M /  3.4FT  60MIN
 KAWAIHAE HAWAII      20.0N 155.8W  1333Z   0.92M /  3.0FT  52MIN
 DART 51407           19.6N 156.5W  1337Z   0.15M /  0.5FT  14MIN
 KAHULUI MAUI         20.9N 156.5W  1327Z   1.74M /  5.7FT  52MIN
 KAUMALAPAU HAWAII    20.8N 156.9W  1340Z   0.31M /  1.0FT  12MIN
 HONOLULU OAHU        21.3N 157.9W  1314Z   0.66M /  2.2FT  52MIN
 BARBERS PT HI        21.3N 158.1W  1308Z   0.70M /  2.3FT  64MIN
 TERN FR. FRIGATE US  23.9N 166.3W  1224Z   0.38M /  1.2FT  16MIN
 JOHNSTON US          16.7N 169.5W  1206Z   0.20M /  0.7FT  72MIN
 DART 52402           11.7N 154.2E  0931Z   0.29M /  0.9FT  22MIN
 DART 46403           52.7N 156.9W  1127Z   0.09M /  0.3FT  60MIN
 LEGASPI PH           13.1N 123.8E  1116Z   0.25M /  0.8FT  58MIN
 KWAJALEIN MH          8.7N 167.7E  1111Z   0.55M /  1.8FT  48MIN
 NIKOLSKI AK          52.9N 168.9W  1109Z   0.27M /  0.9FT  64MIN
 HANASAKI HOKKAIDO J  43.3N 145.6E  0656Z   1.83M /  6.0FT  24MIN
 MIDWAY               28.2N 177.4W  1048Z   1.27M /  4.2FT  12MIN
 TOSASHIMIZU SHIKOKU  32.8N 133.0E  0946Z   0.84M /  2.8FT  28MIN
 ADAK AK              51.9N 176.6W  1034Z   0.35M /  1.2FT  22MIN
 YAP FM                9.5N 138.1E  1013Z   0.15M /  0.5FT  88MIN
 DART 21415           50.2N 171.8E  0845Z   0.27M /  0.9FT  52MIN
 WAKE US              19.3N 166.6E  0928Z   0.39M /  1.3FT  14MIN
 NAHA OKINAWA JP      26.2N 127.7E  0901Z   0.25M /  0.8FT  60MIN
 SAIPAN US            15.2N 145.7E  0916Z   0.65M /  2.1FT  30MIN
 OMAEZAKI HONSHU JP   34.6N 138.2E  0818Z   1.42M /  4.6FT  56MIN
 DART 21419           44.5N 155.7E  0716Z   0.40M /  1.3FT  20MIN
 DART 21413           30.5N 152.1E  0659Z   0.76M /  2.5FT  32MIN
 DART 21401           42.6N 152.6E  0643Z   0.67M /  2.2FT  40MIN
 DART 21418           38.7N 148.7E  0619Z   1.08M /  3.5FT  06MIN
 LAT  - LATITUDE (N-NORTH, S-SOUTH)
 LON  - LONGITUDE (E-EAST, W-WEST)
 TIME - TIME OF THE MEASUREMENT (Z IS UTC IS GREENWICH TIME)
 AMPL - TSUNAMI AMPLITUDE MEASURED RELATIVE TO NORMAL SEA LEVEL.
        IT IS ...NOT... CREST-TO-TROUGH WAVE HEIGHT.
        VALUES ARE GIVEN IN BOTH METERS(M) AND FEET(FT).
 PER  - PERIOD OF TIME IN MINUTES(MIN) FROM ONE WAVE TO THE NEXT.
 NOTE - DART MEASUREMENTS ARE FROM THE DEEP OCEAN AND THEY
        ARE GENERALLY MUCH SMALLER THAN WOULD BE COASTAL
         MEASUREMENTS AT SIMILAR LOCATIONS.
EVALUATION
 SEA LEVEL READINGS CONFIRM THAT A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN GENERATED
 WHICH COULD CAUSE WIDESPREAD DAMAGE. AUTHORITIES SHOULD TAKE
 APPROPRIATE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS THREAT. THIS CENTER WILL
 CONTINUE TO MONITOR SEA LEVEL DATA TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT AND
 SEVERITY OF THE THREAT.
 A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE FIRST WAVE MAY NOT BE THE
 LARGEST. TSUNAMI WAVE HEIGHTS CANNOT BE PREDICTED AND CAN VARY
 SIGNIFICANTLY ALONG A COAST DUE TO LOCAL EFFECTS. THE TIME FROM
 ONE TSUNAMI WAVE TO THE NEXT CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO AN HOUR, AND
 THE THREAT CAN CONTINUE FOR MANY HOURS AS MULTIPLE WAVES ARRIVE.
 FOR ALL AREAS - WHEN NO MAJOR WAVES ARE OBSERVED FOR TWO HOURS
 AFTER THE ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL OR DAMAGING WAVES HAVE NOT
 OCCURRED FOR AT LEAST TWO HOURS THEN LOCAL AUTHORITIES CAN ASSUME
 THE THREAT IS PASSED. 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 THE
 ALL CLEAR DETERMINATION MUST BE MADE BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES.
ESTIMATED INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES AT FORECAST POINTS
WITHIN THE WARNING AND WATCH AREAS ARE GIVEN BELOW. ACTUAL
ARRIVAL TIMES MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE
LARGEST. A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE TIME BETWEEN
SUCCESSIVE WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.
 LOCATION         FORECAST POINT     COORDINATES     ARRIVAL TIME
 YAP              YAP_IS.             9.5N 138.1E    0952Z 11 MAR
 PHILIPPINES      PALANAN            17.1N 122.6E    1002Z 11 MAR
                  LEGASPI            13.2N 123.8E    1033Z 11 MAR
                  DAVAO               6.8N 125.7E    1100Z 11 MAR
 MARSHALL IS.     ENIWETOK           11.4N 162.3E    1021Z 11 MAR
                  KWAJALEIN           8.7N 167.7E    1053Z 11 MAR
                  MAJURO              7.1N 171.4E    1132Z 11 MAR
 BELAU            MALAKAL             7.3N 134.5E    1032Z 11 MAR
 MIDWAY IS.       MIDWAY_IS.         28.2N 182.6E    1035Z 11 MAR
 POHNPEI          POHNPEI_IS.         7.0N 158.2E    1036Z 11 MAR
 CHUUK            CHUUK_IS.           7.4N 151.8E    1041Z 11 MAR
 KOSRAE           KOSRAE_IS.          5.5N 163.0E    1051Z 11 MAR
 INDONESIA        GEME                4.6N 126.8E    1057Z 11 MAR
                  BEREBERE            2.5N 128.7E    1105Z 11 MAR
                  WARSA               0.6S 135.8E    1117Z 11 MAR
                  MANOKWARI           0.8S 134.2E    1125Z 11 MAR
                  PATANI              0.4N 128.8E    1131Z 11 MAR
                  JAYAPURA            2.4S 140.8E    1142Z 11 MAR
                  SORONG              0.8S 131.1E    1143Z 11 MAR
 PAPUA NEW GUINE  MANUS_IS.           2.0S 147.5E    1131Z 11 MAR
                  KAVIENG             2.5S 150.7E    1132Z 11 MAR
                  VANIMO              2.6S 141.3E    1142Z 11 MAR
                  WEWAK               3.5S 143.6E    1154Z 11 MAR
                  RABAUL              4.2S 152.3E    1202Z 11 MAR
                  KIETA               6.1S 155.6E    1212Z 11 MAR
                  AMUN                6.0S 154.7E    1219Z 11 MAR
                  MADANG              5.2S 145.8E    1223Z 11 MAR
                  LAE                 6.8S 147.0E    1301Z 11 MAR
                  PORT_MORESBY        9.3S 146.9E    1437Z 11 MAR
 NAURU            NAURU               0.5S 166.9E    1157Z 11 MAR
 SOLOMON IS.      PANGGOE             6.9S 157.2E    1228Z 11 MAR
                  FALAMAE             7.4S 155.6E    1230Z 11 MAR
                  MUNDA               8.4S 157.2E    1247Z 11 MAR
                  GHATERE             7.8S 159.2E    1256Z 11 MAR
                  AUKI                8.8S 160.6E    1317Z 11 MAR
                  HONIARA             9.3S 160.0E    1322Z 11 MAR
                  KIRAKIRA           10.4S 161.9E    1326Z 11 MAR
 KIRIBATI         TARAWA_IS.          1.5N 173.0E    1236Z 11 MAR
                  KANTON_IS.          2.8S 188.3E    1337Z 11 MAR
                  CHRISTMAS_IS.       2.0N 202.5E    1451Z 11 MAR
                  MALDEN_IS.          3.9S 205.1E    1526Z 11 MAR
                  FLINT_IS.          11.4S 208.2E    1621Z 11 MAR
 HOWLAND-BAKER    HOWLAND_IS.         0.6N 183.4E    1251Z 11 MAR
 HAWAII           NAWILIWILI         22.0N 200.6E    1307Z 11 MAR
                  HONOLULU           21.3N 202.1E    1321Z 11 MAR
                  KAHULUI            20.9N 203.5E    1327Z 11 MAR
                  HILO               19.7N 204.9E    1346Z 11 MAR
 TUVALU           FUNAFUTI_IS.        7.9S 178.5E    1338Z 11 MAR
 PALMYRA IS.      PALMYRA_IS.         6.3N 197.6E    1354Z 11 MAR
 VANUATU          ESPERITU_SANTO     15.1S 167.3E    1416Z 11 MAR
                  ANATOM_IS.         20.2S 169.9E    1511Z 11 MAR
 TOKELAU          NUKUNONU_IS.        9.2S 188.2E    1417Z 11 MAR
 JARVIS IS.       JARVIS_IS.          0.4S 199.9E    1435Z 11 MAR
 WALLIS-FUTUNA    WALLIS_IS.         13.3S 183.8E    1435Z 11 MAR
                  FUTUNA_I.          14.3S 181.8E    1448Z 11 MAR
 SAMOA            APIA               13.8S 188.2E    1453Z 11 MAR
 AMERICAN SAMOA   PAGO_PAGO          14.3S 189.3E    1500Z 11 MAR
 COOK ISLANDS     PUKAPUKA_IS.       10.8S 194.1E    1500Z 11 MAR
                  PENRYN_IS.          8.9S 202.2E    1533Z 11 MAR
                  RAROTONGA          21.2S 200.2E    1634Z 11 MAR
 NIUE             NIUE_IS.           19.0S 190.0E    1535Z 11 MAR
 FIJI             SUVA               18.1S 178.4E    1537Z 11 MAR
 NEW CALEDONIA    NOUMEA             22.3S 166.5E    1538Z 11 MAR
 TONGA            NUKUALOFA          21.0S 184.8E    1605Z 11 MAR
 MEXICO           ENSENADA           31.8N 243.2E    1650Z 11 MAR
                  PUNTA_ABREOJOS     26.7N 246.4E    1738Z 11 MAR
                  CABO_SAN_LUCAS     22.8N 250.0E    1815Z 11 MAR
                  SOCORRO            18.8N 249.0E    1825Z 11 MAR
                  MAZATLAN           23.2N 253.6E    1904Z 11 MAR
                  MANZANILLO         19.1N 255.7E    1930Z 11 MAR
                  ACAPULCO           16.9N 260.1E    2005Z 11 MAR
                  PUERTO_MADERO      14.8N 267.5E    2140Z 11 MAR
 KERMADEC IS      RAOUL_IS.          29.2S 182.1E    1656Z 11 MAR
 FR. POLYNESIA    PAPEETE            17.5S 210.4E    1714Z 11 MAR
                  HIVA_OA            10.0S 221.0E    1753Z 11 MAR
                  RIKITEA            23.1S 225.0E    1921Z 11 MAR
 PITCAIRN         PITCAIRN_IS.       25.1S 229.9E    2008Z 11 MAR
 GUATEMALA        SIPICATE           13.9N 268.8E    2156Z 11 MAR
 EL SALVADOR      ACAJUTLA           13.6N 270.2E    2202Z 11 MAR
 COSTA RICA       CABO_SAN_ELENA     10.9N 274.0E    2215Z 11 MAR
                  PUERTO_QUEPOS       9.4N 275.8E    2241Z 11 MAR
                  CABO_MATAPALO       8.4N 276.7E    2243Z 11 MAR
 NICARAGUA        CORINTO            12.5N 272.8E    2223Z 11 MAR
                  PUERTO_SANDINO     12.2N 273.2E    2229Z 11 MAR
                  SAN_JUAN_DL_SUR    11.2N 274.1E    2239Z 11 MAR
 ANTARCTICA       CAPE_ADARE         71.0S 170.0E    2230Z 11 MAR
                  THURSTON_IS.       72.0S 260.0E    0129Z 12 MAR
 PANAMA           PUNTA_BURICA        8.0N 277.1E    2254Z 11 MAR
                  PUNTA_MALA          7.5N 280.0E    2340Z 11 MAR
                  PUERTO_PINA         7.4N 282.0E    2350Z 11 MAR
                  BALBOA_HTS.         9.0N 280.4E    0201Z 12 MAR
 HONDURAS         AMAPALA            13.2N 272.4E    2259Z 11 MAR
 CHILE            EASTER_IS.         27.1S 250.6E    2303Z 11 MAR
                  ARICA              18.5S 289.7E    0251Z 12 MAR
                  IQUIQUE            20.2S 289.9E    0256Z 12 MAR
                  ANTOFAGASTA        23.3S 289.6E    0302Z 12 MAR
                  CALDERA            27.1S 289.2E    0322Z 12 MAR
                  GOLFO_DE_PENAS     47.1S 285.1E    0324Z 12 MAR
                  COQUIMBO           29.9S 288.6E    0331Z 12 MAR
                  VALPARAISO         33.0S 288.4E    0345Z 12 MAR
                  CORRAL             39.8S 286.5E    0401Z 12 MAR
                  TALCAHUANO         36.7S 286.9E    0407Z 12 MAR
                  PUERTO_MONTT       41.5S 287.0E    0601Z 12 MAR
                  PUERTO_WILLIAMS    54.8S 291.8E    0904Z 12 MAR
                  PUNTA_ARENAS       53.2S 289.1E    1708Z 12 MAR
 ECUADOR          BALTRA_IS.          0.5S 269.7E    2338Z 11 MAR
                  ESMERELDAS          1.2N 280.2E    0009Z 12 MAR
                  LA_LIBERTAD         2.2S 278.8E    0030Z 12 MAR
 COLOMBIA         BAHIA_SOLANO        6.3N 282.6E    2353Z 11 MAR
                  TUMACO              1.8N 281.1E    0018Z 12 MAR
                  BUENAVENTURA        3.8N 282.8E    0036Z 12 MAR
 PERU             TALARA              4.6S 278.5E    0041Z 12 MAR
                  PIMENTAL            6.9S 280.0E    0145Z 12 MAR
                  LA_PUNTA           12.1S 282.8E    0146Z 12 MAR
                  CHIMBOTE            9.0S 281.2E    0152Z 12 MAR
                  SAN_JUAN           15.3S 284.8E    0200Z 12 MAR
                  MOLLENDO           17.1S 288.0E    0233Z 12 MAR
BULLETINS WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.
THE TSUNAMI WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY MAY ALSO ISSUE TSUNAMI MESSAGES
FOR THIS EVENT TO COUNTRIES IN THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC AND SOUTH
CHINA SEA REGION.  IN CASE OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION... THE
MORE CONSERVATIVE INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED FOR SAFETY.
THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE PRODUCTS
FOR ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...WASHINGTON...OREGON...CALIFORNIA.

[Nichi]

I saw another report which included Australia.

[Michael]

I saw another report which included Australia.

We are supposed to be ok.

But I am hearing mixed reports about whether they have a nuclear disaster happening or not.

[Taimyr]

A friend of mine is in Tokyo, shes ok.

[Nichi]

We are supposed to be ok.

But I am hearing mixed reports about whether they have a nuclear disaster happening or not.

Yes, same here --- I just saw a blurb that it's "under control", but another source says it's ongoing.

A friend of mine is in Tokyo, shes ok.

Good news!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The death count on this is going to change a lot over the next few days - at first it was "100", but now they are saying 300-400... time will tell.

[Nichi]

Called John in San Diego ... He said that their local forecast is predicting nothing more than 3 feet, so they aren't too alarmed there.

[Nichi]

Tsunami swamps Hawaii beaches, brushes West Coast US
AP       

By JAYMES SONG and MARK NIESSE, Associated Press – 29 mins ago

HONOLULU – Tsunami waves swamped Hawaii beaches and brushed the U.S. western coast Friday but didn't immediately cause major damage after devastating Japan and sparking evacuations throughout the Pacific.

Kauai was the first of the Hawaiian islands struck by the tsunami, which was caused by an earthquake in Japan. Water rushed ashore at least 11 feet high near Kealakekua Bay, on the west side of the Big Island, and reached the lobby of a hotel. Flooding was reported on Maui, and water washed up on roadways on the Big Island.

Scientists and officials warned that the first tsunami waves are not always the strongest and said residents along the coast should watch for strong currents and heed calls for evacuation.

"The tsunami warning is not over," said Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie. "We are seeing significant adverse activity, particularly on Maui and the Big Island. By no means are we clear in the rest of the state as well."

High waters reached the U.S. western coast by 11:30 a.m. EST Friday, after evacuations were ordered and beaches closed all along the coast.

Fishermen in Crescent City, Calif., — where a tsunami in 1964 killed 11 people — fired up their crab boats and left the harbor to ride out an expected swell.

Sirens sounded for hours before dawn up and down the coast, and in Hawaii, roadways and beaches were empty as the tsunami struck. As sirens sounded throughout the night, most residents cleared out from the coasts and low-lying areas.

"I'm waiting to see if I'll be working and if I can get to work," said Sabrina Skiles, who spent the night at her husband's office in downtown Kahului in Maui. Their home, across the street from the beach, was in a mandatory evacuation zone. "They're saying the worst is over right now but we keep hearing reports saying 'don't go anywhere. You don't want to go too soon.'"

The tsunami, spawned by an 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan, slammed the eastern coast of Japan, sweeping away boats, cars, homes and people as widespread fires burned out of control. It raced across the Pacific at 500 mph — as fast as a jetliner — although tsunami waves roll into shore at normal speeds.

President Barack Obama said the Federal Emergency Management Agency is ready to come to the aid of Hawaii and West Coast states as needed. Coast Guard cutter and aircraft crews were positioning themselves to be ready to conduct response and survey missions as soon as conditions allow.

It is the second time in a little over a year that Hawaii and the U.S. West coast faced the threat of a massive tsunami. A magnitude-8.8 earthquake in Chile spawned warnings on Feb. 27, 2010, but the waves were much smaller than predicted and almost no damage was reported.

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.

Many islands in the Pacific evacuated after the warnings were issued, but officials told residents to go home because the waves weren't as bad as expected.

In Guam, the waves broke two U.S. Navy submarines from their moorings, but tug boats corralled the subs and brought them back to their pier. No damage was reported to Navy ships in Hawaii.

The warnings issued by the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center covered an area stretching the entire western coast of the United States and Canada from the Mexican border to Chignik Bay in Alaska.

In the Canadian pacific coast province of British Columbia, authorities evacuated marinas, beaches and other areas.

In Alaska, a dozen small communities along the Aleutian Island chain were on alert, but there were no reports of damage from a wave just over 5 feet.

Officials in two coastal Washington counties used an automated phone alert system, phoning residents on the coast and in low-lying areas and asking them to move to higher ground.

"We certainly don't want to cry wolf," said Sheriff Scott Johnson of Washington's Pacific County. "We just have to hope we're doing the right thing based on our information. We don't want to be wrong and have people hurt or killed.

In Oregon, sirens blasted in some coastal communities and at least one hotel was evacuated in the northern part of the state. Restaurants, gift shops and other beachfront business stayed shuttered, and schools up and down the coast were closed.

Rockne Berge, owner of By The Sea Motel in Port Orford, on Oregon's southern coast, said he saw a band of wet sand about 50 yards wide — an indication of a wave larger than usual. People found viewpoints on bluffs above the beach to watch the waves, he said.

"It looks like a mall parking lot at a Christmas sale," he said.

In Santa Cruz, Calif., retreating waves broke loose a couple of boats and a dock, but surfers who raced to the beach to catch the waves were undeterred.

"The tides are right, the swell is good, the weather is good, the tsunami is there. We're going out," said William Hill, an off-duty California trooper.

Latin American governments ordered islanders and coastal residents to head for higher ground. First affected would be Chile's Easter Island, in the remote South Pacific, about 2,175 miles west of the capital of Santiago, where people planned to evacuate the only town. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa declared a state of emergency and ordered people on the Galapagos Islands and the coast of the mainland to seek higher ground.

The tsunami warning was issued Friday at 3:31 a.m. EST. Sirens were sounded about 30 minutes later in Honolulu alerting people in coastal areas to evacuate. About 70 percent of Hawaii's 1.4 million population resides in Honolulu, and as many as 100,000 tourists are in the city on any given day.

On Friday, the Honolulu International Airport remained open but seven or eight jets bound for Hawaii have turned around, including some originating from Japan, the state Department of Transportation said. All harbors are closed and vessels were ordered to leave the harbor.

Honolulu's Department of Emergency Management has created refuge areas at community centers and schools, and authorities on Kauai island have opened 11 schools to serve as shelters for those who have left tsunami inundation zones.

A small 4.5-magnitude earthquake struck the Big Island just before 5 a.m. EST, but there were no reports of damages and the quakes weren't likely related, a geophysicist with the United States Geological Survey said.

Dennis Fujimoto said early Friday that the mood is calm but concerned on the island of Kauai while people readying for the tsunami.

Long lines formed at gas stations and people went to Wal-Mart to stock up on supplies.

"You got people walking out of there with wagonloads of water," he said.

The worst big wave to strike the U.S. was a 1946 tsunami caused by a magnitude of 8.1 earthquake near Unimak Islands, Alaska, that killed 165 people, mostly in Hawaii. In 1960, a magnitude 9.5 earthquake in southern Chile caused a tsunami that killed at least 1,716 people, including 61 people in Hilo. It also destroyed most of that city's downtown. On the U.S. mainland, a 1964 tsunami from a 9.2 magnitude earthquake in Prince William Sound, Alaska, struck Washington State, Oregon and California. It killed 128 people, including 11 in Crescent City, Calif.

__

Associated Press Writers contributing to this report include Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu, Denise Petski in Los Angeles, Kathy McCarthy in Seattle, Nigel Duara in Seaside, Ore., Jeff Barnard in Crescent City, Calif., Rob Gillies in Toronto, Alicia Chang in Pasadena, Calif., Michelle Price and Carson Walker in Phoenix. Niesse contributed from Ewa Beach, Hawaii.

[Nichi]

Quake brings modern Tokyo to a standstill
AP
By JAY ALABASTER, Associated Press – 3 mins ago

TOKYO – Japan's huge earthquake brought super-modern Tokyo to a standstill Friday, paralyzing trains that normally run like clockwork and stranding hordes of commuters carrying mobile phones rendered largely useless by widespread outages.

The magnitude-8.9 quake off Japan's northeastern coast shook buildings in the capital, left millions of homes across Japan without electricity, shut down the mobile phone network and severely disrupted landline telephone service. It brought Tokyo's train system to a halt, choking a daily commuter flow of more than 10 million people.

"This is the kind of earthquake that hits once every 100 years," said restaurant worker Akira Tanaka, 54.

He gave up waiting for trains to resume and decided — for his first time ever — to set off on foot for his home 12 miles (20 kilometers) north of the capital. "I've been walking an hour and 10 minutes, still have about three hours to go," he said.

Tokyo prides itself on being an orderly, technologically savvy, even futuristic city. Residents usually can rely on a huge, criss-crossing network of train and subway lines, but authorities were forced to scan the entire web for quake damage and canceled nearly all train service for the day.

Tens of thousands of people milled at train stations and hunkered down at 24-hour cafes and hotels.

Mobile phone lines were crammed, preventing nearly all calls and text messages. Calls to northeastern Japan, where a 23-foot (7-meter) tsunami washed ashore after the quake, generally failed to go through, with a recording saying the area's lines were busy.

Unable to rely on mobile phones, lines of people formed at Tokyo's normally vacant public phone booths dotting the city.

Osamu Akiya, 46, was working in Tokyo at his office in a trading company when the quake hit. It sent bookshelves and computers crashing to the floor, and cracks appeared in the walls.

"I've been through many earthquakes, but I've never felt anything like this," he said.

Japan's top telecommunications company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. set up an emergency phone line and a special Internet site for people to leave messages for family and friends.

Up to 90 percent of calls were being restricted to prevent telecom equipment from being overloaded, NTT spokeswoman Mai Kariya said. The company was checking on damage to towers and cables, and details were not immediately available.

Tokyo commuter trains and subways, as well as the superfast bullet trains, all shut down, according to East Japan Railway Co. A handful of subway lines resumed service, but only after six hours.

Normally when Tokyo trains suffer rare problems, they are running again within an hour. But the railway company announced that nearly all service would not resume for the rest of the day, sending crowds that were milling at train stations pouring into the streets.

The Tokyo suburb of Yokohama offered the community's main concert hall as an emergency place to stay overnight, and planned to offer blankets and other amenities, Yokohama Arena official Hideharu Terada said.

"There has never been a big earthquake like this, when all the railways stopped and so this is a first for us," Terada said. "People are trickling in. They are all calm."

In downtown Tokyo, Tomoko Suzuki and her elderly mother stood at a crowded corner, unable to get to their 29th-floor condominium because the elevator wasn't working. They unsuccessfully tried to hail a taxi to a relative's house and couldn't find a hotel room.

"We are so cold," said Suzuki. "We really don't know what to do."

___

Associated Press writers Yuri Kageyama and Tomoko A. Hosaka contributed to this report.

[Nichi]

Quake leaves apocalyptic scene in Japan

[Michael]

Shit! one of the nuclear power plants has exploded.

[Nichi]

Shit! one of the nuclear power plants has exploded.

Oh my god -- that's as bad as a detonation of a missile, yes?