Replies

>This is a separate article at Reuters and in no way blames the U.S. for not warning Asia

In Crichton's new book,
he describes how upheavals
on the ocean floor

can propagate far,
like from the South Pacific
clear to the West Coast . . .

I hope someobody
is checking for oddball waves
propagating east . . .

" I hope someobody is checking for oddball waves propagating east . . ."

With the entire intelligent parts of the known world watching this, I suppose somebody is.

Don't you? ;)

The Pacific Basin is watched around the clock for tsunamis. The organization responsible is based in Hawaii (central location). These days, deaths from tsunamis in the Pacific usually only occur along coastlines right next to the epicenters of tsunami-producing earthquakes. And that's for the simple reason that there isn't enough time to act upon a warning since the wave hits in a matter of minutes after the quake. But warnings are developed for areas farther away. It's this type of system that the Indian Ocean lacks.

Also, judging by some of these stories, the information that tsunamis can strike in multiple waves minutes or hours apart needs to be spread more widely so that less people get caught up gawking at the first wave's effects.

I have been thinking a lot about Michael Crichton's new book "State of Fear" and what would happen with a west coast tsunami. Ironically, I was thinking of these things at about the time the earthquake happened. I was spending the late afternoon Saturday at Garrapata State Park, south of Carmel. I hiked down to the rocks next to the ocean to relax and watch the gray whales migrating. I'm closer to the waves than I should be, but keep a careful eye of where the water is landing. I was thinking if a tsunami that the book mentioned--or even a rogue wave came ashore, I was toast. I had no idea there really was a huge earthquake on the other side of the world causing tsunamis.

I was in Phuket and Phi Phi last month, but the only worry I had was the Muslim insurgents from Southern Thailand striking the tourist areas as JI did in Bali. I certainly would not have imagined a quake and tsunami.

Mt. Pinatubo exploded after a quake in the Philippines in 1990. I wonder if any volcanoes will be cued up to erupt now.