Vanuatu earthquake: Powerful tremor near Norsup prompts tsunami alert
[apparently the alert is no longer valid]
PUBLISHED Thu, April 28, 2016 - 3:52pm EDT
Credit: Google
A
powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 has struck the island of Malakula in Vanuatu, seismologists say. There was
no immediate word on damage or casualties but a tsunami alert has been issued. (more)
The earthquake, which
struck at 6:33 a.m. local time on Friday, was centered on land about 5 kilometers (3 mi) southwest of Norsup, which is a village on Malakula island. It struck at a shallow depth of 35 kilometers (21 miles).
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), which put the
preliminary magnitude at 7.0, said strong shaking was felt on the northern part of the island, though there was no immediate word from the region itself regarding damage or casualties.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which
initially put the preliminary magnitude at a 7.3 before it was downgraded to 7.0, issued a tsunami alert for Vanuatu. "Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within 300 km of the epicenter along the coasts of Vanuatu," it said.
Other details were not immediately available.
Vanuatu is on the so-called 'Pacific Ring of Fire', an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent and large earthquakes. On average, the island nation and the surrounding waters are struck by about three powerful earthquakes every year. Volcanic eruptions also occur frequently in the region.
In August 2011, two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.1 and 7.4 on the Richter scale struck about 63 kilometers (39 miles) south-southwest of Port-Vila. Tsunami waves of up to 1.05 meter (3.4 feet) were observed on the island of Efate, but there were no reports of damage.
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