7.8 Quake Strikes Solomon Islands

An earthquake with magnitude 7.8 occurred 68km WSW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands at 4.18am local time.



A tsunami warning has since been issued for the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and Nauru. The USGS initially reported the quake as 8.0, but later downgraded it to 7.8.

"Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within the next three hours along some coasts of Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, New Caledonia, Tuvalu and Kosrae," stated the warning issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre.

The centre called on the government agencies responsible for dealing with emergency situations to “take action to inform and instruct any coastal populations at risk in accordance with their own evaluation.”

The epicentre of the quake was registered at a depth of 48.7km, according to USGS.

There are no immediate reports of damages to homes in the capital, Honiara. Tsunami warnings with ETA just hours after the quake struck was issued by the USGS for Kirakira, Auki, Honiara and parts of the Central and Isabel Provinces, but has since passed.

No evacuation is planned for the national referral hospital, sources say, which is located on the coast of Honiara.

Preliminary reports from Kirakira states that while the quake was perhaps the biggest they have felt in recent times, there are no damages to homes and no immediate reports of casualties.

Source: RT

The epicentre of the quake was registered at a depth of 48.7km, according to USGS.


Source

Magnitude 8.0 earthquake generates three-foot tsunami in South Pacific

Published February 06, 2013

Associated Press




Map locates an 8.0-magnitude earthquake that generated a 0.9 meter (3 feet) tsunami in the Solomon Islands. (AP)


A powerful earthquake off the Solomon Islands generated a tsunami of up to 5 feet that damaged dozens of homes and likely killed several people in the South Pacific island chain on Wednesday.

Authorities canceled warnings for tsunamis on more distant coasts.

Solomons officials reported two 4 foot, 11-inch waves hit the western side of Santa Cruz Island, damaging around 50 homes and properties, said George Herming, a spokesman for the prime minister. Many villagers had headed to higher ground as a precaution, Herming said.

,,,,

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/02/05/tsunami-warning-issued-in-pacific-after-magnitude-80-quake-near-solomon-islands/#ixzz2K64l7wkW

.

Earthquakes Hit Solomon Islands and the Philippines

3 January 2010
Posted by Nel

Two large earthquakes were recorded near Solomon Islands, Monday, January 4. The first one was felt at 8:48 AM local time with a magnitude of 6.5. Another one followed, this time stronger, with a 7.2 magnitude recording at 9:36 AM. The epicenters of the earthquakes were at 64 miles and 53 miles southeast of Gizo.



The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued only local tsunami warning that can be destructive along coasts located within a few hundred kilometers of the earthquake epicenter.

Meanwhile, the Philippines, was hit by a moderate 5.3 magnitude earthquake at 5:38 AM local time on the same day, the US Geological Survey said. It was centered at 102 kms southeast of Davao City, in the southern Philippines island of Mindanao. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue any tsunami warning.

The Philippines and the Solomon Islands are in an area called Pacific Ring of Fire where continental plates meet causing frequent seismic and volcanic activities. In fact, one of the Philippine volcanoes, Mayon, has been showing signs of imminent eruptions for the past few weeks. The warning, however, was lowered to level 3 when 2010 ushered in.

.
Source:http://dailycontributor.com/earthquakes-hit-solomon-islands-and-the-philippines/10197/
.

Solomon Islands Hit by 7.2 Magnitude Earthquake, Local Tsunami

January 04, 2010, 12:43 AM EST

By Ed Johnson

Jan. 4 (Bloomberg) -- The Solomon Islands archipelago in the Pacific was hit by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake today causing a local tsunami, disaster agencies said. Several houses collapsed and some people were injured as they ran away from the shore in panic, Agence France-Presse reported.

The quake hit at 9:36 a.m. local time about 105 kilometers (65 miles) south-southeast of Gizo, at a depth of 30.5 kilometers, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said sea level measurements taken off Honiara indicated a tsunami of 6 centimeters (0.2 feet) was generated. There was no region-wide threat, it said.

“The earthquake caused a small wave,” AFP cited Julian Makaa of the country’s National Disaster Management Office as saying. Some homes collapsed on the island of Rendova, near Gizo, he said.

The Solomon Islands archipelago, about 2,500 kilometers east of Australia, lies in the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and experiences frequent seismic tremors. About 50 people were killed and more than 5,000 left homeless there after an 8.1- magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami in April 2007.

Today’s 7.2-magnitude quake was the strongest of several temblors to hit off Gizo. A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck at 8:48 a.m. local time, according to the USGS, followed by quakes of 5.3, 5.2 and 5.7. Gizo is the second-largest town in the Solomon Islands with a population of about 6,000 people, according to AFP.

The tsunami warning center said that “small, non- destructive sea level changes” could last for several hours in other coastal areas.

There was no tsunami threat to the Australian coastline, the Bureau of Meteorology said on its Web site.


--Editors: Paul Tighe, Dave McCombs


To contact the reporter on this story: Ed Johnson in Sydney at +61-2-9777-8647 or ejohnson28@bloomberg.net.


To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Tighe at +61-2-9777-8626 or ptighe@bloomberg.net.
.
.
Source:http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-01-04/solomon-islands-hit-by-7-2-magnitude-earthquake-local-tsunami.html
.

Panga condemns alleged killing

Saturday, 27 December 2008

GUADALCANAL premier Stephen Panga has condemned the alleged killing of the Guadalcanal man whose body was found two weeks ago behind the Varamata SDA church.

The deceased, whose body had been decomposed when found, was only identified by relatives last Saturday.
“The Guadalcanal provincial government has learned with great shock of the recent revelation that the person whose body was found was from Guadalcanal,” Mr Panga said.

He said although the cause of death was yet to be confirmed, he believed the man had been murdered.
“I condemned in the strongest term the killing of the Guadalcanal man who has been a victim of unwarranted killing that should not have taken place in our society,” the premier said.

Mr Panga said this incident has brought the number of deaths of Guadalcanal people to three after the social unrest.

He added that this was not a good sign for a peaceful co-existence and social unity that the people of this nation were trying to achieve.

“Such killings should be stopped by all means because the Guadalcanal people cannot stand to see the continuous killing of our people,” he added.

The Guadalcanal premier added that in future if such incidents continue to happen, the people of Guadalcanal might not engaged in any proposed reconciliations.

Meanwhile, Mr Panga urged the police to continue with their investigations until they get to the bottom of the incident.

He also called on the government to look into such issues seriously.

“I would like to call on the good people of Solomon Islands to be good advocators of peace and unity. Let’s all be good citizens that loves one and another.”

By DOUGLAS MARAU

Source:
http://solomonstarnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5594&change=71&changeown=78&Itemid=26