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Tsunami watch lifted after two big earthquakes
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By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 3:05 PM EDT, Wed April 11, 2012
Click link to play video
Preparing search and rescue post-quake
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Four slightly injured on Simeulue Island
Thailand announces evacuations along the Andaman coast
An 8.2-magnitude aftershock strikes, followed by a series of smaller quakes
There were no immediate reports of destruction or deaths
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Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- A massive earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday afternoon, triggering a tsunami watch for the Indian Ocean, which was later canceled.
The quake struck about 434 kilometers (270 miles) southwest of Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia's Aceh province, and had a magnitude of 8.6, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It took place at a depth of 23 kilometers (14 miles).
A second large quake, with a magnitude of 8.2, occurred off the west coast of Sumatra about two hours later, the USGS said.
Gary Gibson from the Seismology Research Center in Melbourne, Australia, said the location of the second quake reduced the possibility of a tsunami.
There was also a series of smaller quakes off the west coast of northern Sumatra with magnitudes between 5.1 and 5.4.
There were no reports of destruction or deaths.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on local television that there were no reports of casualties or damage in Aceh.
Four people were slightly injured on Simeulue Island, off the coast of Aceh, the National Disaster Management Agency said Wednesday.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami watch for the entire Indian Ocean. And a few hours later, the center announced the tsunami watch was canceled.
"A significant tsunami was generated by this earthquake. However, sea level readings now indicate that the threat has diminished or is over for most areas," the center said.
The center earlier said that "when no major waves have occurred for at least two hours after the estimated arrival time or damaging waves have not occurred for at least two hours, then local authorities can assume the threat is passed." The center posted approximate arrival times for waves in different parts of the region, which were predicted at various times in different cities throughout the day.
Waves were reported at 1-meter (about 3.3-foot) amplitude -- or height above sea level -- offshore in Meulaboh, Indonesia, but in other cities, they were reported at about a foot or less, according to the warning center.
British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that Britain "stands ready to help if required."
It appears to have involved a horizontal movement rather than a vertical movement, so it is less likely that it will generate a tsunami, Gibson said.
He also said that the tremor took place a long way offshore and was therefore unlikely to have caused much damage.
Still, officials called on coastal residents in some low-lying areas in the region to seek higher ground.
The power went out in Banda Aceh, and residents moved to higher elevations, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency.
The areas most at risk of a tsunami are coastal areas of Aceh, particularly the island of Simeulue, Prih Harjadi, an official for the Indonesian geophysics agency, said on Metro TV.
In some areas, residents were allowed to return after the tsunami watch was lifted.
In Thailand, the National Disaster Warning Center issued an evacuation order for residents and tourists along the Andaman coast, state-run news agency MCOT said.
"The tremor was felt as far as in Bangkok where office workers at several high-rise buildings said their workplaces were shaken" for three to five minutes, the report said. "Several southern provinces also felt the tremors."
In the Maldives, some resorts were evacuated in advance of possible waves, according to CNN's Erin Burnett, who was on vacation in the region.
"What strikes me most is essentially the lack of a warning system" in the Maldives, she said. Officials rely primarily on information from the USGS, Burnett said.
In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude underwater earthquake off the coast of Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people in 14 countries. The majority of the deaths were in Indonesia, with Aceh bearing the brunt.
That quake took place 250 kilometers (155 miles) south-southeast of Banda Aceh at a depth of 30 kilometers (19 miles).
The tsunami, which washed away entire communities, caused nearly $10 billion in damage and more casualties than any other tsunami in history, according to the United Nations.
Since then, officials have worked to improve warning systems and have carried out drills in the region.
Indonesia is on the so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The earthquake Wednesday comes just over year after a magnitude-9 quake off the northeast coast of Japan caused a devastating tsunami. The death toll from that disaster stands at about 15,850.
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Tsunami watch lifted after two big earthquakes
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By the CNN Wire... more
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CNN...
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Strong earthquake hits off Antarctica's coast
By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 6:58 PM EST, Sun January 15, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The quake struck Sunday morning near Antarctica's Shetland Islands
The USGS reports it struck at a depth of 6.2 miles
A U.S. agency warns there's a "small possibility of a ... regional tsunami"
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(CNN) -- A strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck Sunday off the coast of Antarctica, prompting a warning that there was a "small possibility" it could trigger a tsunami.
The tremor was centered in waters south of South America's southern tip, about 334 miles (539 kilometers) west of Coronation Island and 388 miles northeast of Palmer Station in Antarctica, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
It hit at 9:40 a.m. local time (8:40 a.m. ET) on Sunday, according to the federal agency, and had an estimated depth of 6.2 miles.
Afterward, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center released a statement saying that there appears to be no threat of "destructive widespread tsunami" because of the quake.
But the agency did state "there is a small possibility of a local or regional tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a few hundred kilometers from the earthquake epicenter.
"Authorities in the region near the epicenter should be made aware of this possibility," the warning center added.
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Strong earthquake hits off Antarctica's coast
By the CNN Wire... more
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7.3-magnitude quake strikes in Pacific, near Fiji islands
By the CNN Wire Staff
September 15, 2011 5:42 p.m. EDT
t1larg.fiji.earthquake.map.jpg
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The U.S. Geological Survey says its depth was 626 kilometers, or 390 miles
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says a "destructive tsunami was not generated"
The quake's epicenter was estimated as 74 miles south-southwest of Fiji's Ndoi Island
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(CNN) -- A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck early Friday in the Fiji islands region of the Pacific Ocean, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
According to the U.S.-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, "a destructive tsunami was not generated, based on earthquake and historical tsunami data."
The quake struck at a depth of 626 kilometers, or about 390 miles below the earth's surface, the Geological Survey said on its website. Its epicenter was 74 miles south-southwest of Fiji's Ndoi Island, 281 miles south-southeast of the Fijian capital, Suva, and 264 miles west of Nuku'alofa in Tonga, according to the U.S. agency's estimations.
It happened just after 7:30 a.m. Friday, or 3:30 p.m. ET. Initially, it was reported as 7.2 magnitude.
Besides the U.S.-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the Japan Meteorological Agency also did not release any tsunami warnings or advisories as a result of the quake.
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7.3-magnitude quake strikes in Pacific, near Fiji islands
By the CNN... more
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Estimated 6.8-magnitude quake strikes off coast of Papua New Guinea
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By the CNN Wire Staff
July 31, 2011 10:01 p.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: The Japan Meteorological Agency lifts any tsunami-related warnings or advisories
Earlier, the agency had said "there is a very small possibility" of a tsunami
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and Australia's similar agency reports no such threats
The earthquake hits 81 miles east of Wewak, New Guinea, says the U.S. Geological Survey
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(CNN) -- A preliminary 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Monday morning off the coast of Papua New Guinea, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The quake struck around 9:39 a.m. and was centered 131 kilometers (81 miles) east of Wewak, which is on the northern coast of the Pacific nation, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. Its depth was reported at 16 kilometers (9 miles).
The Japan Meteorological Agency -- which had an identical measure for the quake's strength -- noted on its website that "there is a very small possibility of a destructive local tsunami" as a result. It said any tsunami likely would not be over half a meter (20 inches) high.
"However at some coasts, particularly near the epicenter, high tsunamis may arrive (larger) than our estimation," the agency said on its website.
But within about two hours after the quake struck, the Japanese agency reported there were no such warnings or advisories still in effect.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue any threats or warning, noting on its website that there was no danger of a tsunami striking Hawaii. Similarly, the Australia tsunami warning center said there was no threat to that nation.Estimated 6.8-magnitude quake strikes off coast of Papua New Guinea
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By the CNN... more
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Fresh quake triggers tsunami warning in Japan
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 7, 2011 12:07 p.m. EDT
The quake was centered 41 miles from Sendai -- one of the areas worst hit by last month's 9.0-magnitude earthquake.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: The USGS reports a 7.1 magnitude
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant evacuated
Tsunami warning is in effect for Miyagi Prefecture, report says
No Pacific-wide tsunami expected, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says
Tokyo (CNN) -- A powerful earthquake struck Japan on Thursday, triggering a tsunami warning for one prefecture and advisories in other prefectures.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake was a magnitude of 7.4. The U.S. Geological Survey said it was 7.1.
There were no reports of casualties from anywhere in the earthquake zone, the National Police Agency said.
Workers evacuated the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant following the quake, the Tokyo Electric Power Company said. Tokyo Electric said it has communication with the plant and the power is still on there. There were no immediate reports of damage, it said.
The quake's epicenter was off the coast of Miyagi in northeastern Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered 41 miles (66 kilometers) from Sendai -- one of the areas worst hit by last month's 9.0-magnitude quake -- and 73 miles (118 kilometers) from Fukushima, where a crisis has been under way at the nuclear plant since last month's tsunami.
Public broadcaster NHK reported a tsunami warning for Miyagi prefecture, saying people in that area should evacuate away from the shore to a safe place.
NHK also reported tsunami advisories for the Pacific coast of Aomori Prefecture, and for the Iwate, Fukushima, and Ibaraki Prefectures.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said based on all available data, "a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is not a tsunami threat to Hawaii."
The quake was centered 207 miles (333 kilometers) from Tokyo, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
It was 15.9 miles (25.6 kilometers) deep, the agency reported.
It took place shortly after 11:30 p.m. local time (10:30 a.m. ET).
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http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/04/07/japan.quake/t1main.japan.quake.7.1map.gm.jpgFresh quake triggers tsunami warning in Japan
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 7, 2011... more
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A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Chile early this morning, killing at least 78 and prompting tsunami warnings in areas as far away as the western coast of the United States.
Click Here To See RAW VIDEO of Chilean Earthquake as It Happened.... Raw Footage ......http://ctpatriot1970.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/raw-quake-video-8-8-magnitude-quake-rocks-chile-rising-death-toll-tsunami-watch/
The earthquake, which hit just after 3 a.m. local time, was 64 times stronger than the one that devastated Haiti last month but was much deeper, likely making the number of casualties far fewer than those in the Caribbean nation.
The minute-and-a-half-long quake was less than 100 miles north from the southwest coastal city of Concepcion, the second-largest city in Chile, but caused damage as far away as the capital Santiago nearly 200 miles away.A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Chile early this morning, killing at least... more
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