Tsunamis 
Japan - 11 March 2011
An 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck Japan just after 6:30pm NZ time Friday 11 March 2011. US Geological Survey verified that it struck at a depth of 24.3kms and located the quake 130.3kms east of Sendai, Honshu. At 8.9 on the Richter Scale it was Japan’s biggest ever earthquake and the seventh largest on record.
Damage from the ensuing 10 metre high tsunami, devastated the country’s northeastern coast. Tsunami warnings were made for countries all around the Pacific rim including New Zealand, prompting evacuations on the Pacific coast of North and South America and the tsunami caused flooding as far away as Chile, but damage was limited.
- Japan earthquake and tsunami latest updates Stuff.co.nz
- Japan quake and tsunami news from TVNZ
- BBC Special Report: Japan earthquake
- Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011 from the World Book Online Reference Center
Access this with your library card number and PIN, or at our libraries.
Japan warned of a possible radiation leak on Saturday 12 March as authorities battled to contain rising pressure at two nuclear plants damaged by the earthquake. It took more than a week to start to get the reactors under control and Japan suffered some radiation as a result.
- Nuclear energy 101: Inside the "black box" of power plants
- Why I am not worried about Japan’s nuclear reactors aka Fission Products and Radiation.
Updated 14 September 2012
Further information
- New Zealand Red Cross accepts donations for disaster relief
- Visit the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center for latest notifications
- Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management
- More about tsunamis
- More about earthquakes
Chile - February 2010
An earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale occurred in Chile at 7:34pm (NZ time) on Saturday 27 February, 2010. The quake’s epicentre was 115km northeast of Concepcion, 325km southwest of the capital Santiago, at a depth of 35km.
The earthquake triggered a tsunami with waves and tidal surges between 1m and 2m affecting many Pacific islands, New Zealand and Japan as well as Chile itself. Canterbury experienced some effects with tidal surges reported in Lyttelton Harbour.
- Chile tsunami coverage on stuff.co.nz
- Quake toll now more than 700 in Chile Radio New Zealand
- Official media releases about the tsunami risk from Scoop
Samoa - September 2009
An earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale occurred southwest of Samoa at 6:48am (NZ time) on Wednesday 30 September 2009. The quake’s epicentre was 190km southwest of the islands, at a depth of 33km and it generated a tsunami with waves of up to five metres high.
- Samoa tsunami coverage on stuff.co.nz
- Widespread destruction following Samoa tsunami nzherald.co.nz
- 100 feared dead in Samoa tsunami Radio New Zealand
- Alert downgraded: NZ Herald
Indian Ocean - September 2007
- Tsunami warning for Indian Ocean countries lifted, Radio NZ news, 2:16pm on 13 September 2007
- Powerful aftershocks hit Sumatra, BBC news, 13 September 2007, 01:44 GMT
Solomon Islands - April 2007
- Photo gallery of Solomon Islands before and after the Tsunami
- National Geographic.
- Four kiwis remain missing after tsunami
- NZ Herald, 3 April 2007. Includes photos and audio.
- Solomon Islands links
- from our Internet gateway.
Asia - Boxing Day 2004
Local Responses
- Asia Quake Disaster
- The BBC web site has a lot of information about the quake and the tsunami that it caused and relief efforts including audio and video.
- After the Tsunami
- CNN Special report. Like the BBC site above this page includes video and audio footage, backgrounders, up to date news, opinions and photographs.
- Tsunami in Asia
- New Zealand Herald.
- WHO: South Asia earthquake and tsunamis
- The World Health Organisation web site. Includes the emergency health action programme for the first 100 days.
- Tsunami of 2004
- from the World Book Online Reference Center
Access this with your library card number and PIN, or at our libraries. - 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
- from Wikipedia - the wiki encyclopedia.
