Solomon Islands Hit By 6.6 Magnitude Earthquake
Jan 10, 2012 2:04:16 GMT -5
Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 10, 2012 2:04:16 GMT -5
Solomon Islands hit by 6.6 magnitude earthquake
A strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake has struck the Santa Cruz Islands, part of the Pacific's Solomons group, the USGS said, but there was no threat of a widespread tsunami, according to officials.
One of the Solomon Islands
One of the Solomon Islands Photo: AFP
8:57AM GMT 09 Jan 2012
The quake hit at a depth of 23 miles at about 3:00pm local time (4.00am GMT) some 220 miles east of Kirakira, the main city of the Solomons' major island, Makira.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was "no destructive widespread tsunami threat" based on historical data.
"However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometres of the earthquake epicentre," it added.
"Authorities in the region of the epicentre should be aware of this possibility and take appropriate action."
Clive Collins, a seismologist at Geoscience Australia, said the undersea tremor would have been felt strongly on the nearest islands, which are quite remote, but would not cause serious damage.
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"It's not all that deep but it's not right at the surface and 6.6, I think the nearest island is about 70 or 80 kilometres away so they'll get a bit of a shake if there's a town or village or something on them, but I don't expect any real damage," Mr Collins said.
"It's probably quite deep ocean there so I don't think there's any chance of a tsunami threat from that, normally that size earthquake wouldn't produce a tsunami."
The Solomon Islands is on a tectonic plate margin in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire and frequently sees earthquakes.
In 2007 a tsunami following an 8.1-magnitude earthquake killed at least 52 people in the Solomon Islands and left thousands homeless.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/solomonislands/9001516/Solomon-Islands-hit-by-6.6-magnitude-earthquake.html
A strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake has struck the Santa Cruz Islands, part of the Pacific's Solomons group, the USGS said, but there was no threat of a widespread tsunami, according to officials.
One of the Solomon Islands
One of the Solomon Islands Photo: AFP
8:57AM GMT 09 Jan 2012
The quake hit at a depth of 23 miles at about 3:00pm local time (4.00am GMT) some 220 miles east of Kirakira, the main city of the Solomons' major island, Makira.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was "no destructive widespread tsunami threat" based on historical data.
"However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometres of the earthquake epicentre," it added.
"Authorities in the region of the epicentre should be aware of this possibility and take appropriate action."
Clive Collins, a seismologist at Geoscience Australia, said the undersea tremor would have been felt strongly on the nearest islands, which are quite remote, but would not cause serious damage.
Related Articles
Small tsunami in Solomon Islands
04 Jan 2010
"It's not all that deep but it's not right at the surface and 6.6, I think the nearest island is about 70 or 80 kilometres away so they'll get a bit of a shake if there's a town or village or something on them, but I don't expect any real damage," Mr Collins said.
"It's probably quite deep ocean there so I don't think there's any chance of a tsunami threat from that, normally that size earthquake wouldn't produce a tsunami."
The Solomon Islands is on a tectonic plate margin in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire and frequently sees earthquakes.
In 2007 a tsunami following an 8.1-magnitude earthquake killed at least 52 people in the Solomon Islands and left thousands homeless.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/solomonislands/9001516/Solomon-Islands-hit-by-6.6-magnitude-earthquake.html
