Major Quake, Loyalty Islands

A major earthquake struck the Loyalty Islands and Vanuatu this evening.

Tuesday, 10th May 2011

A magnitude 7.1 undersea earthquake struck 149 km north-north-east of Tadine in the Loyalty Islands at 8:55 this evening, New Zealand time. The quake, centred 134 km south-west of Isangel, Tanna, Vanuatu was 26 km deep according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Geoscience Australia also reports the earthquake as magnitude 7.1 but at a depth of 66 km. It estimates that the quake would have caused damage within 110 km of the epicentre, and would have been felt up to 1400 km away.

GeoNet seismograph Network 10 May 2011

[click for larger image] The trace from the earthquake appeared on most of the seismographs published on the GeoNet website.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a bulletin for the event at 9:02 New Zealand time advising that, based on historical data, a widespread tsunami threat did not exist.

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre issued a bulletin at 9:08 p.m. advising that there was no tsunami threat to Australia.

[Compiled from data supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey and its contributing agencies, the U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, Geoscience Australia, and the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre.]

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