Tsunami Warning Issued for Southern New Zealand

Hopefully this tsunami misses the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island:

A tsunami warning was issued by the U.S. Geological Survey after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off New Zealand’s western coast Wednesday.

The quake’s epicenter was 100 miles (161 kilometers) west of Invercargill, off the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island at a depth of 21 miles (33 kilometers). It hit at 0922 GMT on Wednesday, the USGS said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii sent an e-mail alert warning of a possible tsunami in New Zealand.

“An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines in the region near the epicenter within minutes to hours,” the warning center said.

The quake was felt widely across South Island, where the earthquake was centered.

Police in the town of Tuatapere on South Island said they had reports of minor cracks in buildings and stock falling from supermarket shelves.

However, no reports of serious damage or injuries have been received so far, police said.   [Associated Press]

You can see in the below map that Invercargill is located on the extreme southern tip of the South Island:

New Zealand actually has a long history of tsunamis ranging from accounts from the ancient Maori to even be recorded during New Zealand’s recent colonial history:

Evidence of a past tsunami
Tsunami scientists Marco Cisternas (left) and James Goff stand beside a buried layer of gravel and sand (marked) at Okourewa Stream, Palliser Bay. This is interpreted as a deposit from a past tsunami. The layer of angular pebbles and overlying sand is thought to be deposited by an advancing tsunami wave. It is overlain by younger river silt and sand.  Radiocarbon dating indicates that the tsunami layer was formed after 1350 AD, but the exact age cannot be determined.

Tsunamis have been a danger in New Zealand as long as people have lived there. Archaeological studies have shown that during the mid-15th century, many M?ori moved their settlements from low-lying coastal sites to hilltops and inland sites. A number of the abandoned coastal settlements show clear evidence of tsunami inundation.

Tsunamis are also recorded in M?ori oral tradition. For example, a wave that caused widespread death and damage on the western side of D’Urville Island in Tasman Bay may have been a tsunami.  [The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]

If a tsunami does hit the west coast of New Zealand it will not be a major disaster like the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami from five years ago.  That is because the area is not highly populated compared to the areas hit in the Indian Ocean tsunami. 

New Zealand has been installing a tsunami warning system in recent years, but it is not scheduled to be complete until 2010, so I have no idea if it has provided any warning to the people in the Invercargill area:

Let’s hope that all is well and this tsunami doesn’t cause any devestation on the beautiful South Island of New Zealand.