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Subscribe to RSSWitnesses say two waves about five feet high each hit the west side of the Solomon Islands following an 8.0 magnitude earthquake, resulting in fatalities. TODAY's Al Roker reports.
Updated at 9:40 a.m. ET: At least five people were killed on Wednesday after a strong earthquake in the South Pacific generated a 3 foot tsunami that aid workers said washed away homes and wiped out remote island communities.
A tidal surge moved houses by up to 30 feet, and there were reports of people and fishing boats being washed out to sea, according to local volunteers for humanitarian charity, World Vision.
The magnitude 8.0 quake struck Wednesday about 3 miles under the Santa Cruz Islands, a thinly-populated part of the Solomon Islands that lie east of Papua New Guinea and northeast of Australia, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
A 3 foot wave hit near the town of Lata, swamping some villages and the town's main airport as people fled to safety on higher ground, Reuters reported.
There was no tsunami threat to Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
According to Reuters, Lata hospital's director of nursing, Augustine Pilve, told New Zealand television that five people had been killed, including a boy aged about ten. Pilve added that more casualties were possible as officials were making their way to villages that may have been hit.
It was not immediately clear if the deaths were caused by the tremor or the tidal surge.
World Vision said two communities in the province of Temotu had been "almost entirely wiped out by a one metre sea surge."
In the town of Venga, with a population of about 750, the surge shifted homes by up to 30 feet, damaging around 90 percent of them, the charity added. Nela, with a population of almost 200 people, saw 95 percent of its homes washed away, the charity said.
"I am currently walking through one community [in Lata], and I'm knee-deep in water," Jeremiah Tabua, World Vision's emergency response coordinator in the Solomon Islands, said in a statement released by the charity. "I can see a number of houses that have been swept away by the surge."
Solomon Islands police commissioner John Lansley told Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the worst hit area was around Lata.
"We understand a part of the airstrip has been damaged, which is going to cause some issues in respect to getting relief aid out there, but that is being assessed at this moment," he said.
The quake struck at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday local time (8:23 p.m. Tuesday ET) and was followed by dozens of aftershocks including a 6.3 magnitude tremor at 5:35 p.m. local time (1:35 a.m. ET) Wednesday. A magnitude-6.0 quake struck at 12:55 a.m. Thursday local time.
USGS officials said the later shocks were "not at all surprising."
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued and later cancelled a tsunami warning for the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, New Caledonia, Kosrae, Fiji, Kiribati, Wallis and Futana.
A tsunami watch was issued and later cancelled for Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia and Guam.
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Wouldn't it be a great idea if this so called "news" story had a time and date mentioned somewhere ?
Did you feel it? earthquakes.usgs.gov
2013-02-06 01:12:27 UTC2013-02-06 12:12:27 LOCAL
I'd settle for even one article a day that didn't contain sentences missing key words, misspellings, grammatical errors, basically one article a day that has been proofread and isn't painful to read.
Nobody hires proofreaders, in a big hurry to get story out,,,,,right or wrong.
A/noon the earth quake struck approx 3 hours ago..Midday here Australian time Wednesday 6th Feb....
GOOD MORNING SHONA and so glad to see you posting. Sounds like everything is OK. Can you add anything to this???
From the article, "The quake struck at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday local time (8:23 p.m. Tuesday ET) and was followed by dozens of aftershocks including a 6.3 magnitude tremor at 5:35 p.m. local time (1:35 a.m. ET) Wednesday."
Hey Moderator, can you get your magic broom and sweep Lisa Joseph (1.7) out the door with the other trash? Thanks!
@earthgirl, No kidding? I am sure that bluffguy is not that stupid. They simply updated the article since the initial posting last night. Funny, how the Internet can do that.
earthgirl.........That was added 8 hours after my comment. Original said nothing about hour,day, month or year, could have been talking about something in 17th century ! When there is a tsunami headed your way, it is very helpful to know when it got it's start.
Basic 5 W's = Who, What, When, Where, Why.
Yes, bluffguy, they would be reporting on an earthquake and tsunami that occurred a long time ago.
Besides, if you actually lived somewhere which could be hit by it, you'd be hearing warnings from other sources. You wouldn't be relying on NBC to inform you of a localized tsunami warning.
I know it's easier said than done, but the poor people need to relocate! Assume 10 miles off shore is a threat. RIP
it did if you read the whole post
Yes Blake the poor people who make their fricken living as fishermen really need to live 10 miles from the water! Who cares how they have to get to work we must protect and save everyone from the world don't we? You must be a liberal?
It seems like Facebook should be deleted from Newsvine.
If a 3-foot wave can wash houses right off the beach, maybe those houses were too close to the beach to start with, as I have seen plenty of 3-foot waves on 500-acre lakes before that didn't do any damage at all. Even Lake Erie has waves a whole lot bigger than 3 feet most every day too. Perhaps the wave was just a bit more than 3 feet when it hit the beach in order to cause that kind of damage?
A/noon chefaz..no that about covers it in the Solomons...Australia is waiting to see what they require before sending over aid..be it materials or personnel....No doubt our mates across the Tasman the New Zealanders will be doing the same....feel for the people..they do it tough in the islands and things like this are a tragedy. We are going OK, just reading our news the next few days here are going to be rotten. Windy, dry and bushfires....more of them I am afraid...A part of Tassie is burning again at the moment. The one near my town is out after 2.5 weeks but have to keep watch is case it flares again...Gum trees can smoulder for weeks...It is the 4th anniversary today of Black Saturday. My back neighbour lost his cousins entire family of 5 and we lost our family dentists wife of 30 years. 163 lost souls, on that hell on earth day. The weather in the next few days is very similar to then and it is quite unnerving...I hate days like this...but this is where I live and and it is what we expect..still it is no more and no less than anyone else has to face...Have a good evening over there...
That and a link to the event page on the USGS
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usc000f1s0#summary
and to the Tsunami Warning center
http://ptwc.weather.gov/
Too funny!!!! As I was scrolling down I was looking for the same thing! Then to leave this comment, I had to sign in.
Japan had a 6.9 earthquake last Saturday, about 4 days ago, which is the northern pacific ocean floor, and Solomon and San Cruz Islands are located on the southern pacific ocean floor. The fire of the ring is moving.
Australia and all other nations around the fire of the ring should take precaution and preventive measures.
These are just my thoughts and nothing 'technical' to back it up. It seems that there have been a lot of earth quakes in this region of the world lately and I'm wondering if these aren't a precursor to something much larger to come.
Again, nothing 'scientific'; just thoughts and concerns...especially for the area of Japan.
They have been having quakes for a couple days in that area. Most of them around 6.0.
Definitely global warming. Yes it would be nice to know what time it happened though, but what do you expect from NBC?
Global warming (or any other kind of weather condition) has no known causal influence on earthquakes. It's a well-known fact - I was taught this in school 25 years ago - that the Earth's crust is made up of several sections, known as tectonic plates, which move relative to one another. The Pacific Plate, which is under most of the Pacific Ocean and many surrounding coastal areas - such as Southern California and Eastern Japan - is slowly rotating counterclockwise. That rotation causes friction with the surrounding plates. Since the edges are rough and jagged, that friction manifests as bursts of movement followed by sudden stops, with a slow buildup of tension leading to the next burst of movement. Those bursts of movement are the cause of most Pacific Rim earthquakes.
well, I know that it sounds logical and all, but we don''t know everything yet about nature. But...global warming does have something to do with the level of the sea (rising), which would certainly affect flood levels in the ensuing tsunami, right?
I'm not sure if rising sea levels cause bigger tsunamis. However, if a three foot tsunami can wipe out an island, there's trouble ahead-- tsunami or not.
Some of those islands don't have much in the way of higher ground to retreat to in case of a tsunami.
Our own coastal areas are in danger due to rising sea levels and bigger storms, as Hurricane Sandy demonstrated.
Nay, due to Global Cooling, (sarcastic). An Earthquake does NOT care if it is hotter or cooler than "normal", it will "shake" regardless of Temperature.
I'm confused... Please tell me this is a typo- 3 FOOT WAVE ????? Unless this is a town populated by ants I'm not seeing how a 3 foot wave is deadly.... that's the size of a small toddler. Maybe its time for a new editor.
RickyW, it doesn't seem like much, does it? Even three feet can be pretty deadly just because of the velocity of the water, and the debris that is swept up in it...here's a good example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eovbsEAlrts
RickyW
It's not a normal 3 foot wave, the ocean floor has risen and the displaced water reaches 3 foot in height, it is not a 3 foot wave breaking it is 3 feet high, possibly miles long, likely billions of gallons, and moving at very high speed.
I know most of these folks are living on islands that are nothing more than elevated reefs and atolls. I don't know what they can do to get above a tsunami-type wave. Perhaps higher pilings to build on? I don't know. For all the aid that is pumped into different parts of the world, pilings would be a cheaper solution than the death toll.
So sorry to hear of this disaster. I hope those who were harm's way got out of the way, are found quickly, and/or can return safely to their home areas.
Ah, but what drives the movement of those tectonic plates? Do they move all by themselves magically? What drives their movements again? Movement in the mantle maybe and what causes that movement? Movement in the core and what drives that? Temperature maybe?
What effect would raising the outside temperature do to the temperature in the core? Would it cause the core to go up or down in temperature? UP because it cannot lose heat as quickly which causes even MORE movement which drives the mantle harder and which cause the tectonic plates to move even faster causing more frequent earthquakes. It is like we put a jacket on the earth and think it is not going to have an effect on it...
Shelteredinsd and antistupidity have it right. A tsunami is not a three-foot breaker you typically see at the beach every day. It's a wall of water reaching all the way down to the ocean floor which has been uplifted by three feet. Anti makes some important points about how far this uplifted wall of water can stretch and how fast it will move. Three feet of uplifted water, over an expanse of possibly hundreds of miles, is one hell of a lot of water. And once it goes from deeps to shallows, it has no place to go but inland. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF MOVING WATER.
Tired -
The short answer to your questions is "take an intro geology course" and most of your questions will be answered. Global warming is not causing any of the proposed effects you hypothesize (what global warming is doing to increase average surface and deep ocean temperatures is a much bigger concern). The temperature of the magma inside the Earth is 2000+ degrees Fahrenheit -- the Earth's atmosphere is not a good insulator and not a significant contributor of additional heat to the Earth's interior.
BS, MS Geology
HAARP activity again
Sigh...
Nice news reporting, not, I think I learned When, Where, What, Why and How in like the 7th grade.
cause a wave in the opposite direction so it interrupts the tsunami wave-the ripples will disrupt it do it with sound pulses -lets think prevention
How? A man made earthquake?
I think that's not how waves work. Two waves moving in opposite directions towards each othe will become an even bigger wave when they meet.
Just arm all the locals (sarc) to shoot holes in the wave....
Just arm all the locals (sarc) to shoot holes in the wave....
Just arm all the locals (sarc) to shoot holes in the wave....
Jon,absolutely correct.
Yup to cancel a wave like that you would have to create a negative -3 foot wave that was a mile or so long in period. While it could be done it would not be easy, the equipment would take up so much space and require so much power it would be silly. A pulse train of smaller period waves may have some effect and be easier to create, but would still not be easy due to the amount of water an earthquake can displace. You would need large wave generators everywhere and something to power/drive them too.
Jon is correct if two crests of water waves meet, they're heights will add up to a larger wave. A wave trough and a crest meeting will roughly cancel out. Sound pulses will not cancel a tsunami wave. The wavelengths and amplitudes of tsunamis are measured in thousands of feet. Sound waves are in inches to meters. In short...we can't prevent tsunamis. Only awareness, preparation, engineering, zoning and building codes will help reduce loss of life and property.
Not sure on that, as a kid I went to a camp near a beach we went to almost daily, the currents were very strong, I have been in 6 foot waves and these little 3 footers were every bit as powerful. We also had a land jetty on one side that went out several hundred yards and "trapped" the waves so there was a very strong backwash coming off the beach, strong enough to compare to rip currents. When the backwash and an incoming wave met they smashed into each other and caused all the water energy to go upwards. A side wash would come in occasionally and when the three converged it would cause a waterspout so to speak. The meeting was violent and made a loud crashing noise.
"Just arm all the locals (sarc) to shoot holes in the wave...."
Obviously, you have no deed for, nor control of, a high capacity keyboard.
You're it.
Joe the teacher--just wondering--for those on atolls/elevated reefs and such, what would be a starting point to help these folks out? I mentioned raised pilings, but I have no idea if that would be an effective measure. Tsunamis are incredibly powerful, and who knows how high they will go? We can't predict everything, but if some plan of action were put into place, where would one start?
These are Pacific islanders, some living in less-than-modern housing, so I don't know that zoning or building codes would be applicable. Awareness and warning might be a direction. Instead of heading for the (non-existent) hills, perhaps some sort of viable life raft? Again, tsunamis can come with almost no warning, but even a little planning would be good.
Please let me know what you think. It might be something to pass on to the powers that be, and maybe part of the disaster can be averted.
I think that if we studied the topology of most of these islands, we would find that the elevation is only inches or a foot or two above sea level. In other words, the slope of the land is very shallow/gradual and it requires a long distance away from the coastline to avoid the danger.
It's the gradual slope of the land that accounts for the damage being done.
As much as we all want to avoid the loss of life in the world, it's not feasible to protect the world from loss, sadness, trauma and grief. It's just something that human beings have to live with.
We are all going to die some day; it's just a matter of when, where and how.
preservation i think is a better word
convert sonar thats sound waves -have ships point ti
You're kidding, right? So entire sections of tectonic plates displace billions of gallons of seawater and we are going to shout at it and it will all disappear?
Egads.....
I was hit by a Suewhami once...
Was she hot?
Man was she ever.
Sorry to hear about the people killed. Goes to show that the Tsunami warning system still has holes in it. Unless this was a case where people ignored the warnings. Lets hope not..
Justice, I think it was a case of location. That island is pretty close to where the earthquake happened, so the tsunami was probably on there pretty quick. And a lot of those smaller islands are inhabited but not very technologically advanced. They may not have the warning system.
Not to mention that there are some pretty low lying islands in the Solomon chain. 3 feet of rise is a big deal on a flat piece of real estate...
"Flat, low lying islands" are the key words. Can't fix that.
3-foot waves?!?!?!
We will rebuild!
That's what I was thinking, 3 foot??
How can you feel bad for people that put themselves in a position to get killed by a 3 ft wave. And before I get slammed, poverty is not an excuse for stupidity.
Yet here they are the "haterofstupidi" being stupid.
It isn't a 3 foot wave, it is a 3 foot tsunami. Since you hate stupidity, go do some research, come back and tell us why you're comment was dumb!
Well said Fields. People do not understand the amount of force that water carries, or the difference between a tsunami and a normal wave.
Funny that a dude named haterofstupid would post such an inane comment...
@haterofstupid. You must hate yourself quite a bit...
A three foot tsunami is not a "wave". It is the entire sea level rising three feet very rapidly and flowing inland like fast moving river. It is BILLIONS of gallons of water that is one of nature's most powerful, deadly, and destructive forces.
If you really are a hater of stupid you really should consider having a clue as to what you are talking about before you offer up such half-witted comments in the future.
try standing in a rushing river that is "only" 3 ft. in depth.
You'll get washed away very quickly.
A three-foot tsunami could be dangerous if you're at one foot above sea level...
A three foot wall of water which, on an island like this, could go more than a mile inland faster than you can run is VERY dangerous.
Tell the crabs 'n critters along the beach that!
This only matters if you are about 3 feet tall and on the beach if so stand on your cooler and you will be OKt
Ha. Well, I assume you're joking. a 3-ft. surge can do a lot more damage than you might think.
Little Johnny used to skip school, especially his science and math classes, see the results.
There were 5 deaths related to the earthquake/tsunami - 1 male child,3 elderly women and 1 elderly man in Santa Cruz. The epicenter wasd not at 5.8m as first reported but at 29.7 km depth. A tsuanami wave is 1 m- the waves generated by the 8.0 magnitude earthquake was 91 cm. 4 villages- 60/70 homes destroyed by the waves. There was a 8 magnitude earthquake with a tsunami in Solomon Islands in 2007 killing 56 people. Solomon Islands belong to the Ring of Fire- subject to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Those making fun of a 3 foot wave. Try and stand in rushing water 1 foot deep. You cannot. Now triple that. It was strong enough to move a HOUSE 30 feet. I would like to see you stand in that.
Well now they know where the water line will be in a decade or so if the ice caps keep melting!
I feel for those who got washed awake this mourning!
May our Father in Heaven watch over the survivors as well as those who gave up their ghost
I knoew if I read the comments section long enough I'd find someone asking a supreme being to do something or another...
I doubt some of the people in the areas hit have high speed internet, let alone a computer. I pray they can do something to help warn less "high tech" areas so loss of life will not occur. My prayers to those who lost friends, family, and homes.
knock knock knock...Penny...
knock knock konck...Penny...
knock knock konck...Penny...
Penny3333 - Tuvalu has a web site, technology is even in the South pacific. In the 1980's I lived next door to a lady from Tuvalu. She was fluent in English, and very intelligent. She married a nice Howley (sp?) boy from the states and moved to California. Periodically they would take their 2 kids and visit Tuvalu. She showed me pictures--it's beautiful there, but with the ocean level rising (quite separate from a tsunami) I don't know how much longer Tuvalu has before it is covered in water because it is very flat. It's also rather small. I'm just glad that the tsunami did not hit there today.
My condolences to the families of those who perished, you are in my thoughts and prayers.
A "3" foot tsunami? Is this correct?? That can move a house and kill people? If this is correct ( Seeing that a lot of reporters, as you can see I did not call them journalist because I think 99% of the are just ambulance chasers and Hollywood attention seekers,) anyhow if this is correct this is enlightening, I didn't know it has this strength.....
A three foot tsunami is dangerous and powerful. 3 feet of water washing into shore going hundreds of miles an hour over land where there is no water. Think about it. That is a wave that is 3 feet higher then the level of the sea. Have you ever stood in the ocean, when large waves hit you going normal speed? Now imagine those waves going back into the ocean after they hit. Water is one of the most destructive forces in the world. If you jump into a pool and land wrong, it can feel like you hit a solid surface. If some one sprays you with a power washer, does it not feel like you got hit with something solid? 3 feet may not sound like much, but it is millions of gallons of water going at speeds that you cannot even reach by car.
To add, it's not a regular wave breaking at three feet, it is usually miles of water 3 feet above normal tide rushing at hundreds of miles an hour, likely billions if not trillions of gallons.
A three foot tsunami is not a "wave". It is the entire sea level rising three feet very rapidly and flowing inland like fast moving river. It is BILLIONS of gallons of moving water that is one of nature's most powerful, deadly, and destructive forces.
As I understand it,one cubic foot of water equals seven and one half gallons,which equals approximately sixty four point eight pounds. That is ONE cubic foot! The formula for kenetic energy is K sub e equals one half mass times the velocity squared, therefore,just to simplify things,picture approx. sixty five pounds hitting you at one hundred to five hundred miles per hour. Probably hurt.
How does a three foot wave take cause so much destruction? That's barely enough for a surfer to bother with.
Really? You have no clue, do you?
Tsunamis move at hundreds of miles an hour. Take something 100 times denser than air and throw 3 feet of it at you at 200 MPH and see how you handle it...nitwit.
A three foot tsunami is not a "wave". It is the entire sea level rising three feet very rapidly and flowing inland like fast moving river. It is BILLIONS of gallons of water in motion that is one of nature's most powerful, deadly, and destructive forces.
The three feet are only one part of at least several measurments needed to understand the sunami's effects.
Its all happening from the fracking that is going on in Gasland!!!!
With a "thought" process like that, your name is true - you are much, much more of one than most of the rest of us.
I'm pretty sure he was being completely and totally sarcastic. You either A) knew this and decided to be a punk anyway, or B) had no idea and took his silly comment seriously, like a moron. So you are either a punk or a moron. Let us know which one it is...
... lol