In the early hours of Sunday morning, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 struck the Alaska Peninsula region, leading to the issuance of a tsunami warning. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake occurred at a relatively shallow depth of 9.3km (5.78 miles).
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System promptly issued a tsunami warning for Pacific regions near the earthquake’s epicenter. The Alaska Earthquake Center confirmed that the earthquake was widely felt across the Aleutian Islands, the Alaskan Peninsula, and Cook Inlet regions.
The National Tsunami Warning Center announced the specific areas under the warning: “Tsunami warning in effect for South Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula, Pacific coasts from Kennedy Entrance, Alaska (40 miles SW of Homer) to Unman Pass, Alaska (80 miles NE of Unalaska). For other US and Canadian Pacific coasts in North America, the level of tsunami danger is being evaluated. Further information will be provided in supplementary messages.”
Additionally, the Alaska Volcano Observatory issued a threat notice for the Shishaldin volcano, which had released a significant ash plume. The volcano’s explosive eruption continued, with a continuous ash plume extending over 80 miles (125 km) to the SSE from the volcano, reaching an altitude of approximately 16,000 ft. Seismic activity at Shishaldin remained elevated, and explosion signals were detected by regional infrasound networks. Some explosions propelled ash plumes as high as 20,000 ft (6 km) above sea level.
It is important to note that the earthquake is unrelated to the volcanic activity at Shishaldin.
Authorities and scientific organizations continue to monitor the situation closely, providing updates and guidance to ensure the safety of those in affected areas.
(Yahoo News)
