Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The new wave

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  • Russell Brown,

    Anyone in a position to eyeball the wave on the East Coast, if it arrives? Safely, of course.

    And, of course, links are welcome.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    That's an incredibly huge earthquake. 8.3. Wellington could be vulnerable. I'm at a conference all day at Te Papa on the harbour waterfront - hopefully safer in the harbour than on the coast? But as Te Papa is a hub of earthquake experts it's probably a safe place to be (ie will evacuate the building if not).

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • ChrisW,

    Relax. Tsunami waves travel at jet-plane speed across deep ocean. The epicentre is 190 km SW of PagoPago across deep ocean - less than half an hour away. The earthquake was at 6.48am our time and the all clear should have been issued before 7.30.

    Gisborne • Since Apr 2009 • 851 posts Report Reply

  • Alastair Jamieson,

    You can watch the NZ Tsunami Gauge network here. You need to manually refresh the page, which seems to update at around 5 minute intervals. Nothing noticeable at Raoul Island as I write...

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 99 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    10.50 am expected to reach Wellington. East coast earlier and Auckland later, according to latest reports. But likely to be revised during the morning I suppose. Inexact science and lots of 'variables'.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    hopefully safer in the harbour than on the coast?

    er, nope. Not unless we dam the harbour entrance PDQ. Probably worse off.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • ChrisW,

    Oops, I tuned out early, when live reporter on waterfront at Pago Pago had seen nothing I thought well after any tsunami arrival time. But 1.5 m there means nothing to worry about here, and the tide is low.

    Gisborne • Since Apr 2009 • 851 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Reeves,

    If the waves come from the north, why do the arrival times in Auckland come after those in Wellington?

    Near Donny Park, Hamilton… • Since Apr 2007 • 94 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Tsunami schedule:

    East Cape at 9.45am, Wellington 10.50, Auckland's east coast 11.12, West Coast 11.39, Lyttleton 11.55, Dunedin 12.31.

    Poor old Dunedin. Always the last to know.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Relax. Tsunami waves travel at jet-plane speed across deep ocean. The epicentre is 190 km SW of PagoPago across deep ocean - less than half an hour away. The earthquake was at 6.48am our time and the all clear should have been issued before 7.30.

    Not quite, Chris. It's thousands of km from Pago Pago to NZ, and a tsunami tops out below 700km/h. Updated arrival times from here are:
    East Cape at 9.44am
    Gisborne 10am
    North Cape 10.12 am
    Napier 10.40 am
    Wellington 10.50 am
    Auckland (east coast) 11.12 am
    Auckland (west) 11.39 am
    Lyttelton 11.55am
    New Plymouth 12.17pm
    Nelson 12.23 pm
    Dunedin 12.31 pm

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Gracewood,

    If the waves come from the north, why do the arrival times in Auckland come after those in Wellington?

    Check out the animation of the Indian Ocean tsunami: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake#Tsunami_characteristics

    See how it bends and lenses around land masses? Hence the different arrival times.

    Orkland • Since Nov 2006 • 168 posts Report Reply

  • ChrisW,

    I meant the time of wave travel to Samoa, and thought the non-observation of waves there half an hour later (or non-reporting at least, and given PagoPago is on that SW side of the island towards the epicentre) was evidence enough that there was no major tsunami generated.

    Gisborne • Since Apr 2009 • 851 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    umm, non-observation? You mean like the reported three-metre tsunami?
    Also, the experts at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre think one's been generated. I'll take their educated guess over yours, thanks.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Sue,

    love the police in tolga bay - just popping down to the beach now to make sure nobody's down there

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 527 posts Report Reply

  • Bevan Shortridge,

    Somewhat amusing (and/or worrying) exchange earlier on between Morning Report's Geoff Robinson and a Samoan correspondent (I didn't catch his name or where he was, Western Samoa?).

    Robinson asked if everyone had moved to higher ground. Yes, replied the correspondent, except for him as he had to stay to report on what was happening...(at which point Robinson said he hoped the correspondent would move if he did see/hear anything of concern...)

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 122 posts Report Reply

  • Ross Mason,

    Interesting. Tauranga is not mentioned and it is a big low lying city........Could really be a Bay of Plenty

    Upper Hutt • Since Jun 2007 • 1590 posts Report Reply

  • Carol Stewart,

    What Don said about being more at risk within Wellington harbour.
    This from Te Ara's excellent entry on NZ's tsunami history (about the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake:)

    About 20 minutes after the earthquake, tsunami waves surged into Wellington Harbour through its narrow entrance, then for many hours bounced repeatedly back and forth, reflected off the harbour sides. Water also flooded into Lyall Bay from Cook Strait and Evans Bay from Wellington Harbour, putting the low isthmus between them (the site of Wellington Airport) under nearly a metre of water.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    The Fire Service is certainly taking it very seriously. A bunch of appliances from coastal stations in the Bay of Plenty/Waikato have been instructed to move "to [a] safe location", and there are evacuations underway in Waihi.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    The wave is coming almost perpendicular to most of the coasts (I don't understand the Auckland thing either) - it's sweeping down the country from the north to south rather than gather up as it hits the continental shelf and coming full in (the Coromandel and East Cape and north facing parts around there of course will catch it full on)

    Luckily it's school hols - we have a history here in Dunedin of teachers taking their class down to the beach to watch the tsunami come in

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • JoJo,

    People in Haumoana (coastal Hawke's Bay) have been advised to evacuate, but that poor little town floods if someone sneezes.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 95 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    @che_tibby says "reports of numerous surfers heading to coast in gisborne"

    Of course.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    The damage in Samoa sounds significant.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    "reports of numerous surfers heading to coast in gisborne"

    Do they do mass Darwins? Or is this one just considered too easy, like DUI or playing with matches on a petrol station forecourt?

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Daniel Wilton,

    The Fire Service is certainly taking it very seriously. A bunch of appliances from coastal stations in the Bay of Plenty/Waikato have been instructed to move "to [a] safe location"

    There were several engines parked up in Mt Victoria this morning for no apparent reason. I suppose that is what happens when they activate the crisis centre

    Wellington • Since Jan 2009 • 54 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    "reports of numerous surfers heading to coast in gisborne"

    Do they do mass Darwins? Or is this one just considered too easy, like DUI or playing with matches on a petrol station forecourt?

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

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