Massive 8.0 Earthquake Strikes Papua New Guinea

A massive earthquake, registering 8.4, (upgraded from 8.0,) has struck the area of Papua New Guinea.

A tsunami is now likely due to this event. Below please find the tsunami warning and some nearby places relative to the quake.

Direction data (below) indicate the position of the event relative to the place.
Panguna, Papua New Guinea
37.8 km (23.5 mi) NWPopulation: 2,916
Arawa, Papua New Guinea
39.8 km (24.8 mi) WNWPopulation: 40,266
Buka, Papua New Guinea
95.2 km (59.2 mi) SEPopulation: 0
Kokopo, Papua New Guinea
381.2 km (236.9 mi) ESEPopulation: 26,273
Kimbe, Papua New Guinea
568.0 km (352.9 mi) EPopulation: 18,847

TSUNAMI MESSAGE NUMBER 2
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
0447 UTC SUN JAN 22 2017

…PTWC TSUNAMI THREAT MESSAGE…

**** NOTICE **** NOTICE **** NOTICE **** NOTICE **** NOTICE *****

THIS MESSAGE IS ISSUED FOR INFORMATION ONLY IN SUPPORT OF THE
UNESCO/IOC PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION SYSTEM AND IS
MEANT FOR NATIONAL AUTHORITIES IN EACH COUNTRY OF THAT SYSTEM.

NATIONAL AUTHORITIES WILL DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF
ALERT FOR EACH COUNTRY AND MAY ISSUE ADDITIONAL OR MORE REFINED
INFORMATION.

**** NOTICE **** NOTICE **** NOTICE **** NOTICE **** NOTICE *****

THE TSUNAMI FORECAST IS UNCHANGED IN THIS MESSAGE.

NOTE EARTHQUAKE MAGNITUDE UPGRADED.

PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS
———————————

* MAGNITUDE 8.4
* ORIGIN TIME 0430 UTC JAN 22 2017
* COORDINATES 6.1 SOUTH 155.2 EAST
* DEPTH 168 KM / 104 MILES
* LOCATION SOLOMON ISLANDS

EVALUATION
———-

* AN EARTHQUAKE WITH A PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF 8.4 OCCURRED IN
THE SOLOMON ISLANDS AT 0430 UTC ON SUNDAY JANUARY 22 2017.

* BASED ON THE PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS… WIDESPREAD
HAZARDOUS TSUNAMI WAVES ARE POSSIBLE.

TSUNAMI THREAT FORECAST
———————–

* HAZARDOUS TSUNAMI WAVES FROM THIS EARTHQUAKE ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE NEXT THREE HOURS ALONG SOME COASTS OF

PAPUA NEW GUINEA… SOLOMON ISLANDS… NAURU… POHNPEI…
KOSRAE… VANUATU… CHUUK AND INDONESIA

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
——————-

* GOVERNMENT AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR THREATENED COASTAL AREAS
SHOULD TAKE ACTION TO INFORM AND INSTRUCT ANY COASTAL
POPULATIONS AT RISK IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR OWN
EVALUATION… PROCEDURES AND THE LEVEL OF THREAT.

* PERSONS LOCATED IN THREATENED COASTAL AREAS SHOULD STAY ALERT
FOR INFORMATION AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS FROM NATIONAL AND
LOCAL AUTHORITIES.

ESTIMATED TIMES OF ARRIVAL
————————–

* ESTIMATED TIMES OF ARRIVAL -ETA- OF THE INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE
FOR PLACES WITH A POTENTIAL TSUNAMI THREAT. ACTUAL ARRIVAL
TIMES MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE
LARGEST. A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE TIME BETWEEN
WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.

LOCATION REGION COORDINATES ETA(UTC)
————————————————————
KIETA PAPUA NEW GUINEA 6.1S 155.6E 0440 01/22
PANGGOE SOLOMON ISLANDS 6.9S 157.2E 0457 01/22
AMUN PAPUA NEW GUINEA 6.0S 154.7E 0518 01/22
RABAUL PAPUA NEW GUINEA 4.2S 152.3E 0525 01/22
FALAMAE SOLOMON ISLANDS 7.4S 155.6E 0526 01/22
GHATERE SOLOMON ISLANDS 7.8S 159.2E 0529 01/22
WOODLARK ISLAND PAPUA NEW GUINEA 9.0S 152.9E 0536 01/22
MUNDA SOLOMON ISLANDS 8.4S 157.2E 0553 01/22
AUKI SOLOMON ISLANDS 8.8S 160.6E 0553 01/22
KAVIENG PAPUA NEW GUINEA 2.5S 150.7E 0554 01/22
ULAMONA PAPUA NEW GUINEA 5.0S 151.3E 0601 01/22
LAE PAPUA NEW GUINEA 6.8S 147.0E 0606 01/22
KIRAKIRA SOLOMON ISLANDS 10.4S 161.9E 0607 01/22
HONIARA SOLOMON ISLANDS 9.3S 160.0E 0613 01/22
MANUS ISLAND PAPUA NEW GUINEA 2.0S 147.5E 0627 01/22
MADANG PAPUA NEW GUINEA 5.2S 145.8E 0639 01/22
SANTA CRUZ ISLA SOLOMON ISLANDS 10.9S 165.9E 0655 01/22
NAURU NAURU 0.5S 166.9E 0657 01/22
POHNPEI ISLAND POHNPEI 7.0N 158.2E 0709 01/22
KOSRAE ISLAND KOSRAE 5.5N 163.0E 0712 01/22
ESPERITU SANTO VANUATU 15.1S 167.3E 0713 01/22
CHUUK ISLAND CHUUK 7.4N 151.8E 0713 01/22
VANIMO PAPUA NEW GUINEA 2.6S 141.3E 0714 01/22
JAYAPURA INDONESIA 2.4S 140.8E 0715 01/22
WEWAK PAPUA NEW GUINEA 3.5S 143.6E 0717 01/22
PORT MORESBY PAPUA NEW GUINEA 9.3S 146.9E 0740 01/22

POTENTIAL IMPACTS
—————–

* A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES. THE TIME BETWEEN WAVE CRESTS
CAN VARY FROM 5 MINUTES TO AN HOUR. THE HAZARD MAY PERSIST
FOR MANY HOURS OR LONGER AFTER THE INITIAL WAVE.

* IMPACTS CAN VARY SIGNIFICANTLY FROM ONE SECTION OF COAST TO
THE NEXT DUE TO LOCAL BATHYMETRY AND THE SHAPE AND ELEVATION
OF THE SHORELINE.

* IMPACTS CAN ALSO VARY DEPENDING UPON THE STATE OF THE TIDE AT
THE TIME OF THE MAXIMUM TSUNAMI WAVES.

* PERSONS CAUGHT IN THE WATER OF A TSUNAMI MAY DROWN… BE
CRUSHED BY DEBRIS IN THE WATER… OR BE SWEPT OUT TO SEA.

NEXT UPDATE AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
————————————–

* THE NEXT MESSAGE WILL BE ISSUED IN ONE HOUR… OR SOONER IF
THE SITUATION WARRANTS.

* AUTHORITATIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EARTHQUAKE FROM THE U.S.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT
EARTHQUAKE.USGS.GOV/EARTHQUAKES -ALL LOWER CASE-.

* FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EVENT MAY BE FOUND AT
PTWC.WEATHER.GOV AND AT WWW.TSUNAMI.GOV.

* COASTAL REGIONS OF HAWAII… AMERICAN SAMOA… GUAM… AND
CNMI SHOULD REFER TO PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER MESSAGES
SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE PLACES THAT CAN BE FOUND AT
PTWC.WEATHER.GOV.

* COASTAL REGIONS OF CALIFORNIA… OREGON… WASHINGTON…
BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALASKA SHOULD ONLY REFER TO U.S.
NATIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER MESSAGES THAT CAN BE FOUND
AT NTWC.ARH.NOAA.GOV.