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Pacific islands unscathed after tsunami scare
by Staff Writers
Sydney (AFP) Aug 29, 2018

Small tsunami waves lapped New Caledonia, Fiji and Vanuatu Wednesday after a strong earthquake in the Pacific Ocean, but the threat passed without any damage reported.

After the 7.1 magnitude quake struck off the eastern coast of New Caledonia, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said "waves reaching 0.3 to 1 metre above the tide level" were possible.

But only minor sea level fluctuations were recorded and the warning was soon called off.

Despite this coastal populations were urged to "stay alert" and follow instructions from local authorities.

The tremor hit at a depth of 27 kilometres (17 miles) in the southern Pacific Ocean, some 231 kilometres from the nearest town, Tadine, in the lightly-populated Loyalty Islands, the US Geological Survey said.

Geoscience Australia said shaking would have been felt throughout New Caledonia, but it put the damage radius at 103 kilometres -- well away from land.

Jonathan Hanson, duty seismologist at New Zealand's GNS Science, said the epicentre was some distance from inhabited islands and the tsunami wave warnings were modest.

"The tsunami wave sizes we've seen reported are 16-17 centimetres (6.3-6.7 inches) at two New Caledonia stations. At those sizes we wouldn't expect any damage," he told AFP.

New Caledonia's Civil Security department said there was no risk of major flooding.

"Given its location, depth and magnitude, abnormal changes in sea levels could be seen in the Loyalty Islands," it said.

"Since there is no risk of major flooding along the coast, no action by the public is required," it added, calling nonetheless for coastal residents to exercise "caution".

Fiji's disaster management minister tweeted that the quake "does NOT pose any immediate threat to the Fiji region".

New Caledonia, a French overseas territory, Fiji and Vanuatu are located within the "Ring of Fire", a zone of tectonic activity around the Pacific that is subject to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.


Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest


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SHAKE AND BLOW
Ancient tsunamis may explain prehistoric mass graves
(UPI) Aug 15, 2018
Ancient tsunamis could explain a handful of prehistorical mass graves in the Pacific, Mediterranean and northern Scotland. Researchers at the University of New South Wales were first inspired to search for evidence of ancient tsunamis after observing the aftermath of recent disasters. "Basically, when you look at recent events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami you see that there is a dire need for rapid burials when survivors are overwhelmed with the number of dead," archaeologist Ja ... read more

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