Charles McCreery

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Pacific Tsunami Warning Center 2/26/11 Chile
Tsunami Summary

• Charles McCreery
• Director
• NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

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PTWC Timeline Overview
TIME (HST) EVENT
2/26 834PM Mw 8.8 Earthquake Occurs in Chile








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February 26, 2010 Mw 8.8 Chile Earthquake
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Aftershocks show Fault Dimensions
From USGS 238 aftershocks as of 3/18/10
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PTWC Timeline Overview
TIME (HST) EVENT
2/26 834PM Mw 8.8 Earthquake Occurs in Chile
846PM Chile-Peru put in Warning, Ecuador in Watch







6
February 26, 2010 Mw 8.8 Chile Earthquake
7
PTWC Timeline Overview
TIME (HST) EVENT
2/26 834PM Mw 8.8 Earthquake Occurs in Chile
846PM Chile-Peru put in Warning, Ecuador in Watch
849PM Hawaii put in Advisory Status





Advisory under former definition was heads-up
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Historical Tsunamigenic Earthquakes
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Historical Chile Tsunami Impacts in Hawaii
YEAR PLACE MAG MAXIMUM HAWAII RUNUP
1819 N. Chile 8.5 2 m 6.5 ft
1837 S. Chile 8.5 6 m 19.7 ft
1868 N. Chile 8.5 4.5 m 14.7 ft
1877 N. Chile 8.3 4.8 m 15.7 ft
1906 C. Chile 8.2 3.5 m 11.5 ft
1922 N. Chile 8.5 2.1 m 6.9 ft
1960 C. Chile 9.5 10.7 m 35.1 ft
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Initial Sea Level Readings
GAUGE TIME (HST) Max Amplitude
Talcahuano 853 PM 7.7 ft, then failed
Valparaiso 908 PM 4.2 ft
San Antonio 939 PM ETA failed
Corral 939 PM 2.9 ft
Juan Fernandez 949 PM failed
San Felix 1015 PM 1.7 ft
Coquimbo 1052 PM 4.3 ft
Iquique 1106 PM 0.9 ft
Antofagasta 1141 PM 1.6 ft
DART 32412 1141 PM 0.8 ft
Arica 1207 AM 3.1 ft
Measured center-to-peak or half crest-to-trough
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SIFT Model - Maximum Amplitudes
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Initial Forecast Model Guidance for Hawaii
PLACE SIFT 1031P RIFT 1118P ATFM 1124P SIFT w/1-DART 1233A
Hilo 2.6m 1.6m 1.9m 4.1m
Kawaihae 0.8m 1.6m 1.3m 1.2m
Kahului 2.4m 1.0m 2.5m 2.9m
Honolulu 0.5m 1.2m 0.3m 0.9m
Haleiwa 0.6m 1.1m 0.5m 1.1m
Nawiliwili 0.6m 1.4m 1.1m 0.9m
All values are crest-to-trough or
double-amplitude in meters
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PTWC Timeline Overview
TIME (HST) EVENT
2/26 834PM Mw 8.8 Earthquake Occurs in Chile
846PM Chile-Peru put in Warning, Ecuador in Watch
849PM Hawaii put in Advisory Status
2/27 1245AM Entire Pacific put in Warning Status
1246AM Hawaii put in Warning Status
1115AM
138PM
212PM
1140PM
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Additional Sea Level Readings
GAUGE TIME (HST) Max Amplitude
DART 51404 531 AM 0.4 m
Hiva Oa 745 AM 3.6 m
Nuku Hiva 741 AM 1.9 m
Cabo San Lucas 833 AM 0.7 m
Measured crest-to-trough or double-amplitude in
meters
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Further Forecast Model Guidance for Hawaii
PLACE SIFT w/1-DART 138A SIFT w/1-DART 430A ATFM w/1-DART 510P SIFT w/2-DART 550A
Hilo 2.1m 2.4m 3.6m 2.5m
Kawaihae - 0.7m 2.4m 0.6m
Kahului 2.2m - 4.8m 2.2m
Honolulu 0.7m 0.4m 1.2m 0.5m
Haleiwa - 0.8m 1.0m 0.5m
Nawiliwili - 0.4m 2.2m 0.4m
All values are crest-to-trough or
double-amplitude in meters
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PTWC Timeline Overview
TIME (HST) EVENT
2/26 834PM Mw 8.8 Earthquake Occurs in Chile
846PM Chile-Peru put in Warning, Ecuador in Watch
849PM Hawaii put in Advisory Status
2/27 1245AM Entire Pacific put in Warning Status
1246AM Hawaii put in Warning Status
1115AM Tsunami Begins Impacting Hawaii



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Tsunami Observations in Hawaii
PLACE Range of Forecasts Observed
Hilo 1.6 - 3.6 m 1.7m
Kawaihae 0.7 - 2.4 m 1.0m
Kahului 1.0 - 4.8 m 2.0m
Honolulu 0.3 - 1.2 m 0.5m
Haleiwa 0.5 1.1 m 0.8m
Nawiliwili 0.4 1.4 m 0.7m
All values are crest-to-trough or
double-amplitude in meters
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PTWC Timeline Overview
TIME (HST) EVENT
2/26 834PM Mw 8.8 Earthquake Occurs in Chile
846PM Chile-Peru put in Warning, Ecuador in Watch
849PM Hawaii put in Advisory Status
2/27 1245AM Entire Pacific put in Warning Status
1246AM Hawaii put in Warning Status
1115AM Tsunami Begins Impacting Hawaii
138PM Hawaii Warning Cancelled
212PM Pacific Cancelled except Japan / Russia

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February 26, 2010 Mw 8.8 Chile Earthquake
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SIFT Model - Maximum Amplitudes
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PTWC Timeline Overview
TIME (HST) EVENT
2/26 834PM Mw 8.8 Earthquake Occurs in Chile
846PM Chile-Peru put in Warning, Ecuador in Watch
849PM Hawaii put in Advisory Status
2/27 1245AM Entire Pacific put in Warning Status
1246AM Hawaii put in Warning Status
1115AM Tsunami Begins Impacting Hawaii
138PM Hawaii Warning Cancelled
212PM Pacific Cancelled except Japan / Russia
1140PM Warning for Japan / Russia Cancelled
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Thank You