[extropy-chat] Putting the tsunami into context

[scerir]

As to "putting the tsunami into context" I think
there are problems, or perhaps meta-problems, regarding
the following .....
s.
-----------------

"Within minutes following an alarm signaling the strong
earthquake, the NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii
issued an information bulletin to nations in the Pacific
at 8:14 p.m. EST Saturday, indicating that a magnitude
8.0 earthquake (later upgraded to magnitude 9.0)
had occurred off the west coast of Northern Sumatra,
Indonesia. Because the earthquake, reported to be one
of the strongest in the world in the past 40 years,
occurred in the Indian Ocean, not the Pacific,
there was no threat of a tsunami to Hawaii, the West Coast
of North America or to other coasts in the Pacific Basin -
the U.S. area of responsibility."
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2004/s2357.htm

************************************************************
Following messages are taken from
http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/olderwmsg

************************************************************

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 001
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 0114Z 26 DEC 2004

THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE PACIFIC BASIN EXCEPT
ALASKA - BRITISH COLUMBIA - WASHINGTON - OREGON - CALIFORNIA.

.................. TSUNAMI INFORMATION BULLETIN ..................

THIS MESSAGE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. THERE IS NO TSUNAMI WARNING
OR WATCH IN EFFECT.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

 ORIGIN TIME -  0059Z 26 DEC 2004
 COORDINATES -   3.4 NORTH   95.7 EAST
 LOCATION    -  OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATERA
 MAGNITUDE   -  8.0

EVALUATION

 THIS EARTHQUAKE IS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE PACIFIC. NO DESTRUCTIVE
 TSUNAMI THREAT EXISTS BASED ON HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI
 DATA.

THIS WILL BE THE ONLY BULLETIN ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.

THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE BULLETINS
FOR ALASKA - BRITISH COLUMBIA - WASHINGTON - OREGON - CALIFORNIA.

**************************************************************

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 002
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 0204Z 26 DEC 2004

THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE PACIFIC BASIN EXCEPT
ALASKA - BRITISH COLUMBIA - WASHINGTON - OREGON - CALIFORNIA.

.................. TSUNAMI INFORMATION BULLETIN ..................

ATTENTION: NOTE REVISED MAGNITUDE.

THIS MESSAGE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. THERE IS NO TSUNAMI WARNING
OR WATCH IN EFFECT.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

 ORIGIN TIME -  0059Z 26 DEC 2004
 COORDINATES -   3.4 NORTH   95.7 EAST
 LOCATION    -  OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATERA
 MAGNITUDE   -  8.5

EVALUATION
 REVISED MAGNITUDE BASED ON ANALYSIS OF MANTLE WAVES.
 THIS EARTHQUAKE IS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE PACIFIC. NO DESTRUCTIVE
 TSUNAMI THREAT EXISTS FOR THE PACIFIC BASIN BASED ON HISTORICAL
 EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI DATA.

 THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF A TSUNAMI NEAR THE EPICENTER.

THIS WILL BE THE ONLY BULLETIN ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.

THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE BULLETINS
FOR ALASKA - BRITISH COLUMBIA - WASHINGTON - OREGON - CALIFORNIA.

**************************************************************

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 003
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 1535Z 27 DEC 2004

THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE PACIFIC BASIN EXCEPT
ALASKA - BRITISH COLUMBIA - WASHINGTON - OREGON - CALIFORNIA.

.................. TSUNAMI INFORMATION BULLETIN ..................

THIS MESSAGE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. THERE IS NO TSUNAMI WARNING
OR WATCH IN EFFECT.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

 ORIGIN TIME -  0059Z 26 DEC 2004
 COORDINATES -   3.4 NORTH   95.7 EAST
 LOCATION    -  OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATERA
 MAGNITUDE   -  9.0

EVALUATION

 SOME ENERGY FROM YESTERDAYS TSUNAMI IN THE INDIAN OCEAN HAS
 LEAKED INTO THE PACIFIC BASIN... PROBABLY FROM SOUTH OF THE
 AUSTRALIAN CONTINENT.  THIS ENERGY HAS PRODUCED MINOR
 SEA LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS AT MANY PLACES IN THE PACIFIC.  FOR
 EXAMPLE...

  50 CM CREST-TO-TROUGH AT CALLAO CHILE
  19 CM CREST-TO-TROUGH AT IQUIQUE CHILE
  13 CM CREST-TO-TROUGH AT PAGO PAGO AMERICAN SAMOA
  11 CM CREST-TO-TROUGH AT SUVA FIJI
  50 CM CREST-TO-TROUGH AT WAITANGI CHATHAM IS NEW ZEALAND
  65 CM CREST-TO-TROUGH AT JACKSON BAY NEW ZEALAND
  18 CM CREST-TO-TROUGH AT PORT VILA VANUATU
  06 CM CREST-TO-TROUGH AT HILO HAWAII USA
  22 CM CREST-TO-TROUGH AT SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA USA

 HOWEVER... AT MANZANILLO MEXICO SEA LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS WERE
 AS MUCH AS 2.6 METERS CREST-TO-TROUGH PROBABLY DUE TO FOCUSING
 OF ENERGY BY THE EAST PACIFIC RISE AS WELL AS LOCAL RESONANCES.

 THIS IS TO ADVISE THAT SMALL SEA LEVEL CHANGES COULD CONTINUE
 TO BE OBSERVED ACROSS THE PACIFIC OVER THE NEXT DAY OR TWO
 UNTIL ALL ENERGY FROM THIS EVENT IS EVENTUALLY DISSIPATED.

THIS WILL BE THE FINAL BULLETIN ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.

THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE BULLETINS
FOR ALASKA - BRITISH COLUMBIA - WASHINGTON - OREGON - CALIFORNIA.