New Zealand Remain on High Alert as Pacific Tsunami Threat Lingers

Pacific Tsunami Threat Wanes for Some Regions, but Persists Elsewhere

Tsunami waves have struck parts of Russia, Japan, and the United States following a massive earthquake off the Russian coast. While alerts were initially issued for dozens of countries, the danger appears to be diminishing in some areas. On Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula and Kuril Islands, a warning was canceled Wednesday evening after a flooded seaport town had been evacuated. Despite these downgrades, Russian officials warned that some risk of large waves remained, and the Klyuchevskoy volcano in the remote Kamchatka region also erupted.

Global Impact and Ongoing Alerts

Residents in coastal regions across the Pacific, Asia, and Latin America were on alert for potential tsunami waves."Forecasts for French Polynesia's Marquesas Islands suggest tsunami waves could reach heights of 3.6 to 8.2 feet (1.1-2.5 meters)." Residents were urged to move to higher ground or go far offshore until the official alert is lifted.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning Centers projected waves as high as 9.8 feet (3 meters) for Ecuador, which ordered preventative evacuations of the Galapagos Islands and other low-lying areas. Waves of 3.3 to 9.8 feet (1-3 meters) were also possible in Hawaii, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, Japan, and other Pacific islands.

According to Nathan Bangs, a research professor at the University of Texas, the earthquake's global impact is due to it occurring in a "subduction zone setting," which is known to generate large tsunamis. This is similar to the settings of the 2004 Sumatra and 2011 Tohoku earthquakes.

The U.S. National Weather Service initially issued tsunami warnings for Hawaii, Alaska's Aleutian Islands, and parts of California, as well as lower-level advisories for Washington and Oregon. A less severe tsunami watch was also active for the entire U.S. West Coast. The threat level for Alaska and Hawaii was later downgraded, allowing evacuated residents to return home.

Tsunami Warnings Remain in New Zealand and Chile

A day after the magnitude 8.8 earthquake, tsunami warnings are still in effect for both New Zealand and Chile. Officials in New Zealand issued a warning that strong, unusual currents could persist for another 24 hours, an effect of rebounding tsunami activity from South America. The east coast and the Chatham Islands remain under a National Advisory, and a new emergency alert urged residents to stay away from the sea and shore.

Meanwhile, Chile issued a state of caution for its citizens, advising them to move away from the coastline and avoid maritime activities. Chile's interior minister reported that waves had reached heights of up to 3.6 feet (1.1m) in some places, and up to 8.2 feet (2.5m) in one location.

Authorities in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru have since dropped their tsunami alerts. Although no major damage was reported, and injuries were minor, one woman in Japan died after her car fell off a cliff while she was evacuating to higher ground. Amidst the tsunami alerts, the Klyuchevskoy volcano in Russia's Kamchatka region was also seen erupting.

Recent Southern California Earthquake Activity

A preliminary magnitude 4.3 earthquake, along with several smaller quakes, caused shaking across a wide area of Southern California on Thursday morning. The strongest quake, reported around 9:30 a.m., was one of four quakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater that struck just west of San Bernardino.

An earlier magnitude 3.0 quake was reported at 8:34 a.m.The later, stronger quake was felt in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and other metropolitan areas. A magnitude 3.1 aftershock followed a few minutes later.

This region is seismically active, having experienced about 130 quakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater since 1990, many occurring in clusters. Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones stated that this activity is "standard fare" for Southern California.