An earthquake was felt late Thursday night in North California, USA. The magnitude of the earthquake was estimated at 7.0 on the Richter scale. The US Weather Service issued a tsunami warning immediately after the earthquake. However, the alert was canceled after 1 hour. No casualties have been reported so far due to the earthquake.
The US Weather Service said the quake struck at 10:44 a.m. local time. Its center was in the Pacific Ocean, 9 kilometers from Ferndale City, California. Several aftershocks were also felt after the earthquake.
According to a New York Times report, Ferndale is home to 1,300 people. A tsunami alert was issued for them. Despite canceling the alert, people were advised not to go to the beach. The earthquake caused property damage in Ferndale.
How to determine if there is a tsunami or not
According to the US 'Tsunami Warning System', if a tsunami advisory or alert is issued after an earthquake and is followed by waves of 1 meter high in the sea, it is classified as a tsunami. Their height can range from 3 to 5 meters later. If the waves rise up to 5 metres, it is classified as a 'major tsunami'.
What types of signals are there before a tsunami occurs in the ocean?
Whenever a tsunami occurs after an earthquake, the waves moving down from the sea level are the first to hit the coast. When waves move toward the shore, a vacuum is created below, which pulls the water above the shore toward the ocean. Due to which the land or sea shore on the shore of the port is visible.
Receding ocean water is a sign that a tsunami is about to occur. After a few minutes or hours, the tsunami wave hits the shore with great force and noise.
A tsunami is a series of destructive waves, occurring one after the other. It is called 'Wave Train'. As the waves reach the shore one by one from the middle of the ocean, the force of the tsunami increases.
Tsunami victims say that just because a small wave came and went, it does not mean that the tsunami is gone. It brings destruction in the form of second, third, fourth wave. For this reason, you should immediately move to a safe place as soon as you get the chance.
How to determine if there is a tsunami or not
According to Japan's 'Tsunami Warning System', if a tsunami advisory or alert is issued after an earthquake and then waves of 1 meter high rise in the sea, it is classified as a tsunami. Their height can range from 3 to 5 meters later. If the waves rise up to 5 metres, it is classified as a 'major tsunami'.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
