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WILL 2009 END WITH THE MOTHER OF ALL QUAKES AS FINALE?
OR A HUGE VOLCANIC ERUPTION?
Three powerful quakes cause Pacific tsunami panic
Posted: 08 October 2009 0936 hrs
PORT VILA - Three powerful earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.8, 7.7 and 7.1 struck near the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu in the space of just over one hour on Thursday, seismologists said.
The first magnitude 7.8 quake sparked a region-wide tsunami alert and was quickly followed by two other strong earthquakes, the US Geological Survey said.
The initial earthquake struck 294 kilometres from Vanuatu's Espiritu Santo island at a shallow depth of 35 kilometres at 9:03am local time (2203GMT Wednesday), and was followed just 15 minutes later by a 7.7-magnitude quake.
The second quake, the magnitude of which was revised upwards from 7.3, hit 330 kilometres from Luganville on Espiritu Santo island at 9:18am.
Residents in the area were shaken again by a 7.1-magnitude quake at 10:13am about 280 kilometres northwest of Luganville.
Aftershocks also shook the region, with a 5.7-magnitude quake shaking Vanuatu nearly two hours after the first big quake, and a 5.3-magnitude tremor striking near Samoa, causing panic in the islands that were devastated by a tsunami last week.
A total of 184 people are confirmed dead in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga following a tsunami sparked by an 8.0-magnitude quake on September 29. Six remain missing.
The latest series of quakes and the region-wide tsunami warning caused panicked residents to flee to higher ground on Thursday, but experts said that waves measuring only between three and ten centimetres were recorded.
- AFP/ir
OR A HUGE VOLCANIC ERUPTION?
Three powerful quakes cause Pacific tsunami panic
Posted: 08 October 2009 0936 hrs
PORT VILA - Three powerful earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.8, 7.7 and 7.1 struck near the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu in the space of just over one hour on Thursday, seismologists said.
The first magnitude 7.8 quake sparked a region-wide tsunami alert and was quickly followed by two other strong earthquakes, the US Geological Survey said.
The initial earthquake struck 294 kilometres from Vanuatu's Espiritu Santo island at a shallow depth of 35 kilometres at 9:03am local time (2203GMT Wednesday), and was followed just 15 minutes later by a 7.7-magnitude quake.
The second quake, the magnitude of which was revised upwards from 7.3, hit 330 kilometres from Luganville on Espiritu Santo island at 9:18am.
Residents in the area were shaken again by a 7.1-magnitude quake at 10:13am about 280 kilometres northwest of Luganville.
Aftershocks also shook the region, with a 5.7-magnitude quake shaking Vanuatu nearly two hours after the first big quake, and a 5.3-magnitude tremor striking near Samoa, causing panic in the islands that were devastated by a tsunami last week.
A total of 184 people are confirmed dead in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga following a tsunami sparked by an 8.0-magnitude quake on September 29. Six remain missing.
The latest series of quakes and the region-wide tsunami warning caused panicked residents to flee to higher ground on Thursday, but experts said that waves measuring only between three and ten centimetres were recorded.
- AFP/ir
