Powerful Earthquake Strikes PNG

M7.9 EQ Strikes 46km E of Taron, New Ireland, PNG

Magnitude: 7.9 mww [USGS/EHP]
Depth: 103.2 km
Location: 4.509°S, 153.450°E [46km E of Taron, New Ireland, PNG]
Time: 2016-12-17 @ 10:51:12.570 (UTC)

This EQ has NOT generated a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami.

Aftershocks:

M6.3 – 169km SE of Taron, Papua New Guinea
depth of 35.9 km [revised]
2016-12-17 11:27:41 (UTC)

M5.5 – 56km E of Taron, Papua New Guinea
depth: 89.2km
2016-12-17 11:22:39 (UTC)

TSUNAMI THREAT FORECAST...UPDATED
http://ptwc.weather.gov/ptwc/text.php?id=pacific.TSUPAC.2016.12.17.1125
---------------------------------

  * TSUNAMI WAVES REACHING 1 TO 3 METERS ABOVE THE TIDE LEVEL ARE
    POSSIBLE ALONG SOME COASTS OF

      PAPUA NEW GUINEA.


  * TSUNAMI WAVES ARE FORECAST TO BE LESS THAN 0.3 METERS ABOVE
    THE TIDE LEVEL FOR ALL OTHER AREAS.

  * ACTUAL AMPLITUDES AT THE COAST MAY VARY FROM FORECAST
    AMPLITUDES DUE TO UNCERTAINTIES IN THE FORECAST AND LOCAL
    FEATURES. IN PARTICULAR MAXIMUM TSUNAMI AMPLITUDES ON ATOLLS
    AND AT LOCATIONS WITH FRINGING OR BARRIER REEFS WILL LIKELY
    BE MUCH SMALLER THAN THE FORECAST INDICATES.

  * FOR OTHER AREAS COVERED BY THIS PRODUCT A FORECAST HAS NOT
    YET BEEN COMPUTED. THE FORECAST WILL BE EXPANDED IF
    NECESSARY IN SUBSEQUENT PRODUCTS.


RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
-------------------

  * GOVERNMENT AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR THREATENED COASTAL AREAS
    SHOULD TAKE ACTION TO INFORM AND INSTRUCT ANY COASTAL
    POPULATIONS AT RISK IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR OWN
    EVALUATION... PROCEDURES AND THE LEVEL OF THREAT.

  * PERSONS LOCATED IN THREATENED COASTAL AREAS SHOULD STAY ALERT
    FOR INFORMATION AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS FROM NATIONAL AND
    LOCAL AUTHORITIES.


ESTIMATED TIMES OF ARRIVAL
--------------------------

  * ESTIMATED TIMES OF ARRIVAL -ETA- OF THE INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE
    FOR PLACES WITHIN THREATENED REGIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW. ACTUAL
    ARRIVAL TIMES MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE
    LARGEST. A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE TIME BETWEEN
    WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.

    LOCATION         REGION             COORDINATES    ETA(UTC)
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    AMUN             PAPUA NEW GUINEA   6.0S 154.7E   1121 12/17
    RABAUL           PAPUA NEW GUINEA   4.2S 152.3E   1123 12/17
    KIETA            PAPUA NEW GUINEA   6.1S 155.6E   1125 12/17
    FALAMAE          SOLOMON ISLANDS    7.4S 155.6E   1132 12/17
    WOODLARK ISLAND  PAPUA NEW GUINEA   9.0S 152.9E   1133 12/17
    KAVIENG          PAPUA NEW GUINEA   2.5S 150.7E   1146 12/17
    ULAMONA          PAPUA NEW GUINEA   5.0S 151.3E   1156 12/17
    LAE              PAPUA NEW GUINEA   6.8S 147.0E   1203 12/17
    PORT MORESBY     PAPUA NEW GUINEA   9.3S 146.9E   1339 12/17