Alaska Earthquake: Tsunami Warning Issued as Magnitude 8.0 Earthquake Strikes Aleutian Islands
By Nick Wiltgen Published: Jun 23, 2014, 6:37 PM EDT weather.com
A magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck the Aleutian Islands of Alaska Monday, prompting tsunami warnings for the immediate region. Experts are evaluating the possibility of a broader tsunami across the Pacific Ocean.
The earthquake struck at 11:53 a.m. local time (4:53 p.m. Eastern time) near Little Sitkin Island in the far western part of the Aleutian Island chain, just west of the International Date Line. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the main jolt was followed by aftershocks measuring magnitude 6.0 and 5.8, occurring 18 and 37 minutes after the mainshock, respectively.
The National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska, issued a tsunami warning for a portion of the Aleutians stretching from Nikolski to Attu. "Widespread dangerous coastal flooding accompanied by powerful currents are possible and may continue for hours after tsunami arrival," the NTWC bulletin said.
It issued a tsunami advisory from Nikolski to Unimak Pass, and advised that the tsunami danger for other portions of the Pacific Coast of the U.S. and Canada is still being evaluated.
The first tsunami measurement came from Amchitka, Alaska, about 25 miles from the quake's epicenter. A tsunami of 0.6 foot (about 7 inches) was recorded at 12:36 p.m. local time. The NTWC said that the depth of the earthquake, some 71 miles below the earth's surface, would mitigate the extent of the tsunami. Still, the center warned that the first tsunami wave is not necessarily the highest.
Large earthquakes in this region have caused significant tsunamis in the past. An Aleutian Islands quake in 1946 caused a tsunami that killed 96 people in Hilo, Hawaii, and prompted the establishment of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
The much stronger magnitude-9.2 Good Friday earthquake of 1964, which took place farther east near Anchorage, caused over 100 tsunami deaths in Alaska, five in Oregon, and 13 in California.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said it is also evaluating the potential for a tsunami to reach the Japanese coastline. Japan has suffered damaging tsunamis from overseas quakes in the past, including the 1964 Good Friday quake. Major earthquakes in Chile also caused damaging tsunamis in Japan in 1960 and 2010.
Check back for updates on this breaking news story.
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