UPDATE: 00:00 PST 3/13/11 Japanese Met Agency has upgraded the magnitude of the quake to 9.0 — up from 8.8, their previous estimate.
UPDATE: 14:20 PST 3/11/11 Additional graphs and data added to end of post h/t Eco Tretas
UPDATE: 4:05 am PST Tsunami Warning continues for much of the US Pacific Coast and British Columbia.
UPDATE: Compared to quakes since 1900, this appears to be the sixth largest on record, see table added below from USGS data.
Tsunami Warning for the entire Pacific basin coastline including California, impact at 7:42 -8:15 AM local time e.g. San Francisco.
UPDATE: One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded. Hawaii under Tsunami Warning. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center Updates / Warning Website Link. Aftershocks continuing. Tsunami Watch issued for California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Canada…
UPDATE: Here’s a screencap from live streaming from Japan via news helicopter showing the Tsunami as it strike s the north coast:
UPDATE: NHK TV in Japan reports Tsunami hit. Massive damage, reports below.
8.9 quake at Friday, March 11, 2011 at 05:46:00 UTC. Preliminary estimate was 7.9 and was upgraded to 8.8, now 8.9. Current details from USGS. Tsunami warning issued.
We’ll have more on this as it develops.
If you know of webcams in the area in Japan, leave a comment.
(AP) – JAPAN’S METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY NOW WARNS THAT A TSUNAMI AS HIGH AS 20 FEET (6 METERS) COULD STRIKE THE COAST NEAR MIYAGI PREFECTURE, CLOSEST TO THE EPICENTER.
WEHW40 PHEB 110557
TSUHWX
HIZ001>003-005>009-012>014-016>021-023>026-110757-
/O.NEW.PHEB.TS.A.0001.110311T0557Z-000000T0000Z/
BULLETIN
TSUNAMI MESSAGE NUMBER 1
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
756 PM HST THU MAR 10 2011
TO - CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE STATE OF HAWAII
SUBJECT - TSUNAMI WATCH
A TSUNAMI WATCH IS ISSUED FOR THE STATE OF HAWAII EFFECTIVE AT
0756 PM HST.
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
ORIGIN TIME - 0746 PM HST 10 MAR 2011
COORDINATES - 38.0 NORTH 142.9 EAST
LOCATION - NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU JAPAN
MAGNITUDE - 7.9 MOMENT
EVALUATION
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. AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY TO DETERMINE
IF THERE IS A TSUNAMI THREAT TO HAWAII.
IF TSUNAMI WAVES IMPACT HAWAII THE ESTIMATED EARLIEST ARRIVAL OF
THE FIRST TSUNAMI WAVE IS
0259 AM HST FRI 11 MAR 2011
MESSAGES WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.
From Fox News :
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said a tsunami warning was in effect for Japan, Russia, Marcus Island and the Northern Marianas. A tsunami watch has been issued for Guam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and U.S. state of Hawaii.
The quake struck at 2:46 p.m. at a depth of 10 kilometers, about 80 miles (125 kilometers) off the eastern coast, the meteorological agency said. The area is 240 miles (380 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo.
In downtown Tokyo, large buildings shook violently and workers poured into the street for safety. TV footage showed a large building on fire and bellowing smoke in the Odaiba district of Tokyo.
From CBS News:
Japanese television showed video of serious damage caused by a tsunami along the nation’s northern coast. Public broadcaster NHK showed cars, trucks, houses and buildings being swept away by the tsunami in Onahama city, Fukushima prefecture.
A tsunami warning was in effect for Japan, Russia, Marcus Island and the Northern Marianas. A tsunami watch has been issued for Guam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and U.S. state of Hawaii.
There were reports that evacuations were underway along the Russian coast.
===================================================================
| Rank Location | Date | Magnitude2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Chile | May 22, 1960 | 9.5 |
| 2. | Prince William Sound, Alaska | March 28, 19643 | 9.2 |
| 3. | Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Islands | March 9, 1957 | 9.1 |
| 4. | Kamchatka | Nov. 4, 1952 | 9.0 |
| 5. | Off western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia | Dec. 26, 2004 | 9.0 |
| 6. | Off the coast of Ecuador | Jan. 31, 1906 | 8.8 |
| 7. | Offshore Maule, Chile | Feb. 27, 2010 | 8.8 |
| 8. | Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands | Feb. 4, 1965 | 8.7 |
| 9. | Northern Sumatra, Indonesia | March 28, 2005 | 8.7 |
| 10. | India-China border | Aug. 15, 1950 | 8.6 |
http://www.ioc-sealevelmonitoring.org/station.php?code=ofun
Hanasaki (almost also 4 meters max variation)
http://www.ioc-sealevelmonitoring.org/station.php?code=hana
Omaezaki
http://www.ioc-sealevelmonitoring.org/station.php?code=omae
Wake Island (little variation)
http://www.ioc-sealevelmonitoring.org/station.php?code=wake
Guam (little variation)
I have many Japanese friends. This is a horrible day. In Christchurch we are struggling after our quake, but this one in Japan is huge. Just horrible.
That didn’t take long. I claim first detection of the phrase “Global Warming” in the Tsunami story
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12709856
“Those Pacific Islands already threatened by GW”
They also projected waves of up to 1 meter high in the western coasts of the Philippines about 6 hrs after the earthquake. These areas are far from Manila as we’re near the South China Sea side. Seems the waves there were not high.
Terrifying vision.
Kinda puts all the manufactured panic about a few mm/year sea level rise or fractions of a degree of temperature in perspective.
My thoughts and sympathies to all those affected.
These videos, especially of the tsunami in Sendai sweeping all before it, are totally stunning. I pray that there won’t be so many casualties because Japan has an excellent record in coping with such earthquakes. Still, the ferocity of earthquake and tsunami is stunning to watch.
Hopefully it might dawn on some people that efforts to ‘deal’ with climate change is pure hybris.
I google mapped kurihara, there’s no way that it is destroyed.
Blame the moon, says the Daily Wail (UK)!!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1365225/Lunar-perigee-Is-Japanese-earthquake-latest-natural-disaster-caused-supermoon.html
“Green investment bank ‘must operate commercially’
Green economy is at risk if the bank cannot attract private sector investors, a cross-party committee of MPs have warned”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/11/greeen-investment-bank
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/1/13/1263383639173/Offshore-wind-farm-001.jpg
My thoughts are with all our friends in Japan and all other areas that may be hit by this.
David A. Evans.
First numbers about victims
“12:59 Uhr: Erstmals werden offizielle Opferzahlen genannt: Danach sind bei dem Erdbeben mindestens 40 Menschen ums Leben gekommen. Weitere 39 Menschen würden vermisst, teilt die japanische Polizei in Tokio mit. ”
Translation: The quake killed a minimum of 40 people, a further 39 are missing.
These are very low numbers for such a huge quake. Victims from the Tsunami are not included, hope it won’t get too bad… At least for now it doesn’t look as devastating as the Kobe earthquake in 1995… My best wishes to all people in Japan!
I should have mentioned the link for my comment (which seems to be lingering in the spam bin, hint, hint, mods and thank you in advance…)
http://www.welt.de/vermischtes/weltgeschehen/article12770727/Japanische-Polizei-nennt-erstmals-Opferzahlen.html
Strange. I had not thought large buildings could be completely ablaze while being carried by rushing water.
roger says:
March 11, 2011 at 2:53 am
Humility in that branch of science yet none in climate change!
That’s because their heads will be on a platter when they get it wrong, its a imminent danger, is now and not in a few decades or centuries into the future.
Having said that, everyone i now in Japan has been accounted for, execpt two, but i guess that they are safe because they live south of Tokyo.
And thanks to a family member who felt this quake in Osaka i knew of this earthquake before it started to hit the news or reached the Seismographs here in the Netherlands.
http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/indonesian-volcano-erupts-hours-after-japan-earthquake-91063
Eruption in Indonesia
Should only use Thorium reactors, these are too dangerous!
Mount Karangetang erupts
One of Indonesia’s most active volcanos has erupted, sending lava and searing gas clouds tumbling down its slopes.
Volcanology official Agus Budianto said today that authorities were still trying to evacuate residents living along the slopes of Mount Karangetang.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or serious damage.
The 1,784-metre mountain is located on Siau, part of the Sulawesi island chain. It last erupted in August, killing four people.
Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago, is located on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
The eruption happened hours after a massive earthquake in Japan that triggered a Pacific-wide tsunami.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/indonesia-volcano-erupts-2239167.html
From a friend of mine who lives in Hiroshima, it appears that the Sendai region has been struck by 5 earthquakes with the 8.9 lasting for 3 minutes.
How long before global warming is blamed?
Damn that Global Warming! It finds new ways to torment us daily!!!
oh yes, and All The Models Predicted This!!!
/sarc
This is truly a sad day for Japan. My thoughts are with Japanese people and all other areas that may be hit by this.
While watching the BBC special coverage this morning I heard one of the announcers say that low lying islands in the Pacific were in danger from the tsunami “ever more so because of rising sea levels due to global warming.”
!!!ACK!!!
Japanese police have now confirmed that between 200 and 300 bodies have been found on the beach near Sendai, the closest city to the epicentre. NHK television said the victims appeared to have drowned.