7.1 Quake Strikes Off Alaska

Tsunami warning issued, canceled after Alaska quake

(NEWSER) - A massive 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Alaska's remote Aleutian Islands late Thursday, but there were no reports of injuries or damage. A tsunami warning issued for some coastal areas of Alaska was canceled around an hour later. In the town of Dutch Harbor, hundreds of people climbed a hill after warning sirens went off, a longshoreman tells the AP . Residents said they felt the ground rumbling for about 20 seconds during the quake, which was centered around 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage. More»

(NEWSER) - Alaska and the US West Coast could be pounded by a tsunami far more powerful than researchers had previously thought, LiveScience reports. Analysis of soil samples shows evidence of two earthquakes in the past 2,000 years capable of producing waves that dwarf a 1964 tsunami one researcher calls “the most devastating seismic sea wave to impact the northwestern coast of the US in historical time.” More»

Tsunami watch in effect for 3 Central American countries

(NEWSER) - A powerful earthquake struck early this morning about 40 miles northeast of an island off the coast of Honduras, Reuters reports. No injuries have been reported, but the 7.1 magnitude quake triggered a tsunami watch for Honduras, Belize and Guatemala. The quake's epicenter is nearest to Roatan, an island popular with tourists that is surrounded by the world's second largest coral reef. More»

No injuries reported after shaker hits Aleutians

(NEWSER) - In another of a troubling series of earthquakes to hit the US, a 6.5 magnitude shaker has struck Alaska, Reuters reports. The quake hit a sparsely inhabited section of the Aleutian island chain, and so far there have been no reports of injuries. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the earthquake was not large enough to pose a tsunami risk. A spasm of quakes have rattled California and Nevada in recent weeks. More»

Buoys and other material from Japan show up on Alaska shores

(NEWSER) - Buoys by the hundreds are just part of the "unprecedented" waves of debris washing up on Alaska's shores. Montague Island, located some 120 miles southeast of Anchorage, has lately seen a steady stream of buoys, styrofoam, and other items that have made their way across the Pacific, likely in the wake of Japan's March 2011 tsunami, the Telegraph reports. More»