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A computer graph at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center shows the area where an earthquake and tsunami warning was generated near Papua New Guinea - Source: Reuters -
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Undersea earthquakes caused panic in the South Pacific, sending
islanders fleeing to higher ground on fears of a second devastating
tsunami in as many weeks, but a series of waves proved to be tiny
and harmless.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for the
entire southwest Pacific, which included island resorts and
Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia, after the quakes struck
beneath the seas between Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.
Hawaii and the Philippines were placed on tsunami watch.
The Centre cancelled its warning after three tsunamis, measuring
up to 10 cm, were recorded in Vanuatu.
But with memories fresh of a tsunami last week that killed some 150
people in American Samoa and Samoa, many islanders panicked when
the quake hit and tsunami warnings were issued.
"People were frightened and some ran out of the building onto the
street because it was so strong," Florence Cari, receptionist at
Hotel Santo in Vanuatu, told Reuters by telephone.
A reporter at Vanuatu's Daily Post newspaper said people on
Espiritu Santo Island were running for higher ground.
"We have had reports that the kids are running into the hills,"
she said.
Some villagers in outlying islands in the Solomons reported tidal
changes.
"People on the coastal areas have noticed a tide difference. The
hospital is on alert," a hospital spokesman on tiny Nendo island in
southwest Solomon Islands said by telephone.
The tsunami warning centre issued its warning after two sub-sea
quakes, one measuring 7.8 magnitude and the other 7.3.
"Sea-level readings indicate a tsunami was generated," said the
centre.
"The wave may have been destructive along coasts near the
earthquake epicentre."
Islands near the epicentre are remote and sparsely populated, with
communications difficult.
Moments before the quakes, a
magnitude 6.7 tremor struck southeast of the Sulu archipelago
of the Philippines, which is still mopping up from a typhoon that
killed at least 22 people.
Indonesia's port city Padang was hit by a 7.6 magnitude quake last
week, killing 704 people and leaving 295 missing, but the health
minister said the toll could reach 3,000.
Series of quakes, alarming
Mike Sandiford, at the School of Earth Sciences, University of
Melbourne, said the series of large quakes in the region was
unusual and that aftershocks could be expected for a few
weeks.
"We only get about a dozen earthquakes of that magnitude or larger
around the globe in a year, so it very unusual," Sandiford told
Australian media.
"There will be a lot of questions to ask as to whether there is any
relationship between these earthquakes."
Sandiford said the Australian Plate, which caused the Sumatran and
Vanuatu quakes, was the world's fastest moving tectonic plate and
was creating great stresses.
The Australian Plate is moving north/northeast, shoving over the
Pacific Plate at 91 mm a year.
The Sumatran quake was caused by a fault near the interface of
the Australian Plate and Southeast Asia's Sunda Plate.
"All these earthquakes are related to the fact that we live on a
very dynamic and fast moving plate," said Sandiford.
"Until now we would have thought quakes in Samoa and Sumatra and
Vanuatu are too far apart to be caused in any other way than by
mere coincidence. But it is certainly alarming that we have so many
in such a short period of time."
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