Earthquake off SW Coast of New Zealand Prompts Tsunami Warning
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the south-west coast of New Zealand’s South Island shortly before 7:30pm AEST on Wednesday, prompting a tsunami warning for south of the Hunter in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. This was the first occasion the tsunami buoy warning system was put into operation and proved a useful exercise for future events. Scientists at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have demonstrated for the first time that tsunamis in the open ocean can change sea surface texture in a way that can be measured by satellite-borne radars. The finding could one day help save lives through improved detection and forecasting of tsunami intensity and direction at the ocean surface