A 7.8 earthquake has occurred in the Indian Ocean. It near the location of this morning’s earthquake, however, it is unclear at this time if this is an aftershock or a new quake. However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a Tsunami Watch for INDONESIA / AUSTRALIA / THAILAND / MALAYSIA / SINGAPORE.
The bulletin from PTWC:
TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 001
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 0001Z 13 SEP 2007THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.
… A REGIONAL TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT …
A TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR
INDONESIA / AUSTRALIA / THAILAND / MALAYSIA / SINGAPORE
FOR OTHER AREAS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION…THIS MESSAGE IS FOR
INFORMATION ONLY AT THIS TIME.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 – 2349Z 12 SEP 2007
COORDINATES – 2.7 SOUTH 100.7 EAST
LOCATION – SOUTHERN SUMATERA INDONESIA
MAGNITUDE – 7.8EVALUATION
EARTHQUAKES OF THIS SIZE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GENERATE A
DESTRUCTIVE LOCAL TSUNAMI AND SOMETIMES A DESTRUCTIVE REGIONAL
TSUNAMI ALONG COASTS LOCATED USUALLY NO MORE THAN A THOUSAND
KILOMETERS FROM THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER. AREAS FURTHER FROM THE
EPICENTER COULD EXPERIENCE SMALL SEA LEVEL CHANGES AND STRONG OR
UNUSUAL COASTAL CURRENTS.HOWEVER – IT IS NOT KNOWN THAT A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED. THIS
WATCH IS BASED ONLY ON THE EARTHQUAKE EVALUATION. AUTHORITIES IN
THE REGION SHOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS
POSSIBILITY. THE WATCH WILL NOT EXPAND TO OTHER AREAS OF THE
INDIAN OCEAN UNLESS ADDITIONAL DATA ARE RECEIVED TO WARRANT SUCH
AN EXPANSION.DUE TO ONLY LIMITED SEA LEVEL DATA FROM THE REGION IT MAY NOT
BE POSSIBLE FOR THIS CENTER TO RAPIDLY CONFIRM NOR EVALUATE THE
STRENGTH OF A TSUNAMI IF ONE HAS BEEN GENERATED.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
——————————– ———— ————
INDONESIA PADANG 0.9S 100.1E 0021Z 13 SEP
BENGKULU 3.9S 102.0E 0026Z 13 SEP
SIBERUT 1.5S 98.7E 0036Z 13 SEP
SIMEULUE 2.5N 96.0E 0116Z 13 SEP
BANDAR LAMPUNG 5.7S 105.3E 0148Z 13 SEP
BANDA ACEH 5.5N 95.1E 0202Z 13 SEP
CILACAP 7.8S 108.9E 0207Z 13 SEP
BELAWAN 3.8N 99.0E 0536Z 13 SEP
AUSTRALIA CHRISTMAS IS 10.4S 105.4E 0120Z 13 SEP
COCOS ISLAND 12.1S 96.7E 0127Z 13 SEP
THAILAND KO TARUTAO 6.6N 99.6E 0459Z 13 SEP
MALAYSIA GEORGETOWN 5.4N 100.1E 0538Z 13 SEP
PORT DICKSON 2.5N 101.7E 0921Z 13 SEP
SINGAPORE SINGAPORE 1.2N 103.8E 1321Z 13 SEPTHIS WILL BE THE ONLY BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI
WARNING CENTER FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
BECOMES AVAILABLE.THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY MAY ISSUE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FOR THIS EVENT. IN THE CASE OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION…THE
MORE CONSERVATIVE INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED FOR SAFETY.
The USGS report is here. According to that report the quake was at depth of 6 miles, around 3 miles higher in the earths crust than this mornings quake.
Updates below the fold.
(Update 8:25):
TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 002
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 0028Z 13 SEP 2007THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.
… A REGIONAL TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT …
A TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR
INDONESIA / AUSTRALIA
NOTE THAILAND MALAYSIA SINGAPORE ARE NOT IN A WATCH.
FOR OTHER AREAS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION…THIS MESSAGE IS FOR
INFORMATION ONLY AT THIS TIME.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 – 2349Z 12 SEP 2007
COORDINATES – 2.7 SOUTH 100.7 EAST
LOCATION – SOUTHERN SUMATERA INDONESIA
MAGNITUDE – 7.8EVALUATION
EARTHQUAKES OF THIS SIZE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GENERATE A
DESTRUCTIVE LOCAL TSUNAMI AND SOMETIMES A DESTRUCTIVE REGIONAL
TSUNAMI ALONG COASTS LOCATED USUALLY NO MORE THAN A THOUSAND
KILOMETERS FROM THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER. AREAS FURTHER FROM THE
EPICENTER COULD EXPERIENCE SMALL SEA LEVEL CHANGES AND STRONG OR
UNUSUAL COASTAL CURRENTS.HOWEVER – IT IS NOT KNOWN THAT A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED. THIS
WATCH IS BASED ONLY ON THE EARTHQUAKE EVALUATION. AUTHORITIES IN
THE REGION SHOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS
POSSIBILITY. THE WATCH WILL NOT EXPAND TO OTHER AREAS OF THE
INDIAN OCEAN UNLESS ADDITIONAL DATA ARE RECEIVED TO WARRANT SUCH
AN EXPANSION.DUE TO ONLY LIMITED SEA LEVEL DATA FROM THE REGION IT MAY NOT
BE POSSIBLE FOR THIS CENTER TO RAPIDLY NOR ACCURATELY EVALUATE
THE STRENGTH OF A TSUNAMI IF ONE HAS BEEN GENERATED.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
——————————– ———— ————
INDONESIA PADANG 0.9S 100.1E 0021Z 13 SEP
BENGKULU 3.9S 102.0E 0026Z 13 SEP
SIBERUT 1.5S 98.7E 0036Z 13 SEP
SIMEULUE 2.5N 96.0E 0116Z 13 SEP
BANDAR LAMPUNG 5.7S 105.3E 0148Z 13 SEP
BANDA ACEH 5.5N 95.1E 0202Z 13 SEP
CILACAP 7.8S 108.9E 0207Z 13 SEP
BELAWAN 3.8N 99.0E 0536Z 13 SEP
AUSTRALIA CHRISTMAS IS 10.4S 105.4E 0120Z 13 SEP
COCOS ISLAND 12.1S 96.7E 0127Z 13 SEPTHIS WILL BE THE FINAL BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI
WARNING CENTER FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
BECOMES AVAILABLE.THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY MAY ISSUE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FOR THIS EVENT. IN THE CASE OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION…THE
MORE CONSERVATIVE INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED FOR SAFETY.
(Update 8:57): CNN is reporting this is a new earthquake and not an aftershock, it is unclear who their sources are.
America’s Volcanoes continues to monitor this situation and will report any new information as soon as we get it.
