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Tsunami warning latest – Fears for Alaska and Hawaii after massive 8.2 magnitude earthquake strikes off US coast
A HUGE 8.2 magnitude earthquake has sparked tsunami fears in Alaska and Hawaii.
The quake hit the Alaska Peninsula at at 10:15p.m. local time (06:15 UK time) but there were no immediate reports on loss of property or life.
The National Tsunami Warning Center issued warnings for southern parts of Alaska, the Peninsula, and Pacific coastal areas.
It also issued a "tsunami watch" for the U.S. state of Hawaii.
Japan's Meteorological Agency was investigating whether there was a possibility of a tsunami hitting Japan and authorities in New Zealand also said they were assessing if there was any danger to coastal regions.
Read our live blog below for the latest tsunami warning updates…
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SIZE OF THE QUAKE
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake was magnitude 8.2 and hit 91km east southeast of Perryville, Alaska.
The quake was about 46km below the surface of the ocean, according to USGS.
Two other earthquakes with preliminary magnitudes of 6.2 and 5.6 occurred in the same area within a half hour of the first one, the body reported.
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EARTHQUAKE ORIGINATED ON PACIFIC 'RING OF FIRE'
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake was magnitude 8.2 and hit 91km east southeast of Perryville, Alaska.
The quake was about 46km below the surface of the ocean, according to USGS.
This is in the so-called 'Ring of Fire' in the Pacific Ocean. This is where the majority of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.
This is because this is where many of the Earth's fault lines are found.
- John Hall
TSUNAMI WARNING
In Alaska, the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) issued warnings for southern parts, the Peninsula, and Pacific coastal areas from Hinchinbrook Entrance to Unimak Pass.
It also issued a “tsunami watch” for the U.S. state of Hawaii.
- John Hall
TSUNAMI WARNING
In Alaska, the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) issued warnings for southern parts, the Peninsula, and Pacific coastal areas from Hinchinbrook Entrance to Unimak Pass.
It also issued a "tsunami watch" for the U.S. state of Hawaii.
- John Hall
SIZE OF THE QUAKE
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake was magnitude 8.2 and hit 91km east southeast of Perryville, Alaska.
The quake was about 46km below the surface of the ocean, according to USGS.
Two other earthquakes with preliminary magnitudes of 6.2 and 5.6 occurred in the same area within a half hour of the first one, the body reported.
- John Hall
'WIDELY FELT'
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should have been widely felt by almost everyone in the area of the epicenter.
It might have caused light to moderate damage.
Moderate shaking probably occurred in Perryville, Chignik Lake and Sandpoint.
- John Hall
TRIPLE THREAT
Two other earthquakes with preliminary magnitudes of 6.2 and 5.6 occurred in the same area within a half hour of the first one, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a notice that the potential threat to Guam and American Samoa was still under investigation.
“Based on all available data a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake that could be destructive on coastal areas even far from the epicenter,” PTWC said.
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WHAT DOES 'TSUNAMI' MEAN?
Tsunami means 'harbour wave' in Japanese. In English they are sometimes referred to as tidal waves or tidal surges.
A tsunami is essentially a wave which is large enough to severely impact the shore and travel further inland. The waves can engulf harbours or beaches, hit and even destroy buildings and kill anyone who is unlucky enough to be caught in its path.
One of the deadliest tsunami's in human history was the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami which struck Indonesia on Boxing Day – killing over 200,000 people.
- John Hall
LET RIP
According to Honolulu Star Advertiser, The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center listed the magnitude as 8.1 and said “an investigation is underway to determine if there is a tsunami threat to Hawaii.”
But the U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was magnitude 8.2 and hit 56 miles (91 kilometers) east southeast of Perryville, Alaska at about 8:15 p.m.
The quake was about 29 miles below the surface of the ocean, according to USGS.
- John Hall
MULTIPLE AFTERSHOCKS
The tremor struck about 91 km east-southeast of Perryville in Alaska. It was about 800 km (500 miles) from Anchorage, Alaska's biggest city.
It was followed by seven aftershocks, two of them above magnitude 6.0, according to USGS.
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WHAT ARE TSUNAMIS?
Tsunamis occur when there is an underwater event somewhere in the ocean.
Usually it will be an earthquake (when the plates of the Earth's crust move against each other) or a underwater volcano eruption.
This force creates a ripple effect which pushes water in waves outwards from the epicenter.
Much like with an earthquake on land, the further away from the epicenter the less it is felt.
Most underwater earthquakes or eruptions are small enough not to affect the shoreline but if they are close enough or powerful enough they can generate huge waves as water is pushed outwards.
The bigger the force the higher the waves it generates and the further they travel. If the force is big enough you get a tsunami which hits land.
- John Hall
EXTREME HIT
The quake hit the Alaska Peninsula at at 10:15p.m. local time (06:15 UK time) but there were no immediate reports on loss of property or life.
The National Tsunami Warning Center issued warnings for southern parts of Alaska, the Peninsula, and Pacific coastal areas.
It also issued a "tsunami watch" for the U.S. state of Hawaii.
- John Hall
JAPAN TSUNAMI FEARS
Japan's Meteorological Agency was investigating whether there was a possibility of a tsunami hitting Japan, the public broadcaster NHK said.
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NATIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER POSTS IMAGE SHOWING TSUNAMI'S POSSIBLE PATH
The U.S National Tsunami Warning Center has posted a graph to Twitter which shows the potential path of the possible wave surge from its epicentre off the coast of Alaska.
- John Hall
TSUNAMI WARNING
In Alaska, the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) issued warnings for southern parts, the Peninsula, and Pacific coastal areas from Hinchinbrook Entrance to Unimak Pass.
It also issued a "tsunami watch" for the U.S. state of Hawaii.
- John Hall
SIZE OF THE QUAKE
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake was magnitude 8.2 and hit 91km east southeast of Perryville, Alaska.
The quake was about 46km below the surface of the ocean, according to USGS.
Two other earthquakes with preliminary magnitudes of 6.2 and 5.6 occurred in the same area within a half hour of the first one, the body reported.
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