California is long overdue "the big one". The predicted super-earthquake which may break the record for most catastrophic earthquake, currently held by Valdivia, Chile in 1960 which peaked at 9.5. Going back to Boxing Day 2004, the Sumatran subterraean earthquake measured 9.3 on the richter scale and caused massive devestation. Just yesterday, a major 7.9-magnitude earthquake shook the South Pacific nation of Tonga, prompting a tsunami warning but causing no major damage. The quake, which hit at 7.17am local time, was centred 210km south-southeast of the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa. An undersea volcano is erupting near Tonga, shooting smoke and ash hundreds of metres into the sky above the south Pacific Ocean. Check out the photos online. It is incredible. The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a tsunami warning for Tonga, Niue, the Kermadec Islands, American Samoa and Fiji, but lifted it nearly two hours after the quake struck. In Fiji , the authorities warned people in coastal areas to move to higher ground and schools along the coast were closed. Many businesses and government offices stayed closed until after the warning was lifted. In New Zealand , the Ministry of Civil Defence also issued a tsunami advisory for all coastal regions soon after the earthquake. But the tsunami warning was lifted after there were no reports of any significant rise in sea levels. The warning centre said after cancelling the tsunami alert that only a minor rise in sea level of around four centimetres was recorded by sea level gauges in the South Pacific nation of Niue .
I won't even being to try and explain why there wasn't widespread devestation from this quake, but what I do know is that....we could be next. Sydney WILL be hit by a massive tsunami. It's just a case of when. I work on the 32nd floor of Chifley Tower, but the Harbour Bridge, the transport infrastructures and most businesses would be wiped out. Obviously, being a harbour city, the most beautiful I have seen, is at sea level. One major quake, and this is very possible as tectonic plates rub just off the north east coast of New Zealand's north island and a huge tsunami would wipe out most of the Eastern seaboard. Thankfully I don't live right on the beach, but up a bit of a hill about five minutes walk inland. I could have a nice seaside view if things were to go badly wrong.
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