Underwater Volcanic Eruption Near Tonga Triggers Tsunami

Tsunami waves caused by a major underwater eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano have hit the Pacific country of Tonga. A tsunami warning sent residents scrambling to higher ground. Tonga’s capital lies just 65km north of the volcano, on … Continue reading

Tsunami Kills More Than 200 Following Anak Krakatau Eruption

On Saturday, a tsunami in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait killed at least 222 and injured 843. The huge wave hit without warning at night destroying hundreds of homes and buildings, sweeping away cars and uprooting trees. Officials say more than 160 people were killed in … Continue reading

Invasive Species Riding Plastic Rafts Across Oceans

Another good news-bad news story. The good news is that the fears of radiation spreading across the Pacific from the Fukushima meltdown following the Japanese tsunami of 2011, have been wildly overstated.  Yes, trace elements of radiation traceable to Fukushima have been recorded in Pacific … Continue reading

The Tsunami, the Trimaran and Transpac – Lending Club Damaged by Debris

We recently posted about the 83 year old yacht Dorade, which won the 2013 Transpac.  it was not however the first yacht across the finish line.  That honor goes to Lending Club, a racing trimaran; specifically an ORMA (Offshore Racing Multi-hull Association) 60 lengthened to … Continue reading

Solomon Islands Earthquake Triggers Tsunami

A powerful magnitude 8.0 earthquake off the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific triggered a tsunami of up to 5 feet high, damaging several villages and leaving several people missing, presumed dead.   Five villages on Santa Cruz and neighboring islands were reported to have … Continue reading

Fukushima – Radioactive Fish and US Sailors Exposed

The impact of  the meltdown of nuclear reactors at the Fukishima Daiichi power plant, hit by the following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011, is still unfolding.  Last month it was revealed that fish caught near the crippled power plant were … Continue reading

Great Barrier Reef Sea Floor Collapsing, Could Cause Tsunami

The world did not end of on 12/21/12 as some had predicted. Nevertheless, there are still a few things to worry about. Last week, marine geologists from Australia’s James Cook University warned that a one cubic kilometer slab  of the sea … Continue reading

Hawaiian Tsunami Warning Lifted after 100,000 Evacuated to Higher Ground

While those of us on the East Coast of the United States have been watching the approach of the “superstorm” Hurricane Sandy, residents of the Hawaiian islands were under a tsunami warning following a a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Canada’s Pacific coastal … Continue reading

Update: Tsunami Floating Dock an Instant Tourist Attraction on Oregon’s Agate Beach

Earlier in the month, we posted about a a 66 feet long, 165 tonne, starfish and barnacle encrusted, steel and concrete floating dock that washed up on Agate beach, south-west of Portland, Oregon.  We were surprised to hear that the dock, torn free … Continue reading

Japanese Fishing Trawler, Carried Away by Tsunami, Found Drifting Toward British Columbia

A 150′ foot long fishing trawler carried away last March by the tsunami off the east coast of Japan has been spotted drifting in the Pacific Ocean, 120 miles off Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada.  About 5 million tons of debris … Continue reading

One Year After the Tsunami – No.18 Kyotoku-maru, Remains As Tsunami Monument or Scar

One year ago today, the largest earthquake in Japan’s history, measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale, struck 70 miles offshore, triggering a 23-foot (7-meter) tsunami that washed far inland smashing towns, airports and highways across the north-eastern Japanese coast. Over 16,000 people are known … Continue reading

First Tsunami Flotsam Arrives on West Coast & Perfect Storm Flotsam Discovery in Ireland

Two stories about flotsam and ocean currents. The first flotsam from the earthquake and tsunami, which struck Japan on March 11, is beginning to arrive on the West Coast of the United States. A large black float, believed to have floated from Japan, was … Continue reading

Of Waves and Whales – Whaling and the Tsunami

Within hours of the tsunami that struck northern Japan last March, the internet was abuzz with the somewhat bizarre suggestion that the earthquake and wave which followed might be some sort of cosmic retribution for Japanese whaling.  Regardless of what one thinks of that suggestion, … Continue reading