Tsunami Threat Across the Pacific Ocean categorised as Severe

NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issues Severe Tsunami Threat for the Pacific Ocean islands and surrounding land areas

by SailRaceWin

In addition to the NZ Civil Defence warnings, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center is continuing to issue Ocean-wide warnings, as per the one given below on SailRaceWin.

It is always difficult to predict the height of a tsunami wave with great accuracy, since local water depths and coastal configurations can mean that a 2cm wave in one place is over 2 metres or very considerably more elsewhere.

Further, the first wave may not be the largest, and may also be preceded by a considerable lowering of water levels.

In addition to this, seiching may occur (as in Wellington Harbour with the 1855 tsunami), and rapid currents and changes in water level may continue for at least 12 hours after the first tsunami wave comes ashore.

The Indian Ocean December 2004 tsunami was only about 2 metres in height on arrival onshore.

Latest Measurements of Tsunami Height in the Eastern Pacific

GAUGE LOCATION LAT LON TIME AMPL PER
------------------- ----- ------ ----- --------------- -----
EASTER CL 27.2S 109.5W 1160Z 0.44M / 1.4FT 08MIN
ANCUD CL 41.9S 73.8W 0838Z 0.62M / 2.0FT 84MIN
CALLAO LA-PUNTA PE 12.1S 77.2W 1029Z 0.36M / 1.2FT 30MIN
ARICA CL 18.5S 70.3W 1008Z 0.94M / 3.1FT 42MIN
IQUIQUE CL 20.2S 70.1W 0907Z 0.28M / 0.9FT 68MIN
ANTOFAGASTA CL 23.2S 70.4W 0941Z 0.49M / 1.6FT 52MIN
DART LIMA 32412 18.0S 86.4W 0941Z 0.24M / 0.8FT 36MIN
CALDERA CL 27.1S 70.8W 0843Z 0.45M / 1.5FT 20MIN
TALCAHUANO CL 36.7S 73.4W 0653Z 2.34M / 7.7FT 88MIN
COQUIMBO CL 30.0S 71.3W 0852Z 1.32M / 4.3FT 30MIN
CORRAL CL 39.9S 73.4W 0739Z 0.90M / 2.9FT 16MIN
SAN FELIX CL 26.3S 80.1W 0815Z 0.53M / 1.7FT 08MIN
VALPARAISO CL 33.0S 71.6W 0708Z 1.29M / 4.2FT 20MIN

NZ Civil Defence
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center