M 8.3 deadly earthquake triggers Tsunami from Chile, Tahiti to Hawaii, California

Magnitude 8.3 massive earthquake rattled Chile at 19:54 local time (22:54 GMT), the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake's epicenter was located 46 km W of Illapel, Chile. It was 15.5 miles deep.

Tsunami advisories are in effect for Hawaii and Southern California. The tsunami is fanning out across much of the Pacific Ocean, though the worst of its power is expected to be focused westward toward French Polynesia, including Tahiti, The Weather Channel reported. Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia and a popular vacation destination.

According to BBC, the recent Chile earthquake is five times more energetic than the one that devastated Nepal back in April. At least 10 people have died in the recent Chile earthquake.

The Pacific Typhoon Warning Center has issued a tsunami advisory for Hawaii predicting waves of 1 to 3 feet. Similarly, the U.S. government's National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) has issued a tsunami advisory for Southern California expecting tsunami waves of less than 1 foot above normal tide levels.

The French High Commission has warned the people on the Marquesas Islands to prepare for waves of up to 1.4 metres following today's Chilean tsunami. Early ground reports from Tahiti indicate there was a wave of around 30 centimetres height in Papeete, Radio New Zealand International said.

The quake was immediately followed by four aftershocks of 6.0 or greater magnitude within 30 minutes. The tremors measured 6.3, 6.1, 6.2 and 7.0, striking at 7:59, 8:03, 8:16 and 8:18 local time, respectively.

According to USGS, earthquake occurred as the result of thrust faulting on the interface between the Nazca and South America plates in Central Chile.

Epicenter Location
46 km (29mi) W of Illapel, Chile
68 km (42mi) WNW of Salamanca, Chile
105 km (65mi) NNW of La Ligua, Chile
116 km (72mi) SSW of Ovalle, Chile
229 km (142mi) NNW of Santiago, Chile

TSUNAMI THREAT FORECAST
-----------------------------------

  * TSUNAMI WAVES REACHING MORE THAN 3 METERS ABOVE THE TIDE
    LEVEL ARE POSSIBLE ALONG SOME COASTS OF

      CHILE.


  * TSUNAMI WAVES REACHING 1 TO 3 METERS ABOVE THE TIDE LEVEL ARE
    POSSIBLE ALONG SOME COASTS OF

      FRENCH POLYNESIA.


  * TSUNAMI WAVES REACHING 0.3 TO 1 METERS ABOVE THE TIDE LEVEL
    ARE POSSIBLE FOR SOME COASTS OF

      MEXICO... ECUADOR... PERU... ANTARCTICA... JAPAN... NEW
      CALEDONIA... NEW ZEALAND... MARSHALL ISLANDS... FIJI... SAMOA...
      AMERICAN SAMOA... COOK ISLANDS... TOKELAU... VANUATU...
      KIRIBATI... JOHNSTON ISLAND... PALMYRA ISLAND... HOWLAND AND
      BAKER... TONGA... WALLIS AND FUTUNA... PITCAIRN ISLANDS...
      NIUE... SOLOMON ISLANDS... RUSSIA... HAWAII... AND NW HAWAIIAN
      ISLANDS.


  * TSUNAMI WAVES ARE FORECAST TO BE LESS THAN 0.3 METERS ABOVE
    THE TIDE LEVEL FOR THE COASTS OF

      EL SALVADOR... GUATEMALA... HONDURAS... COSTA RICA...
      NICARAGUA... PANAMA... COLOMBIA... AUSTRALIA... PHILIPPINES...
      TAIWAN... CHINA... NORTHERN MARIANAS... GUAM... PALAU... YAP...
      POHNPEI... CHUUK... KOSRAE... NAURU... WAKE ISLAND... MIDWAY
      ISLAND... JARVIS ISLAND... TUVALU... PAPUA NEW GUINEA...
      INDONESIA... VIETNAM... MALAYSIA... AND BRUNEI.


  * ACTUAL AMPLITUDES AT THE COAST MAY VARY FROM FORECAST
    AMPLITUDES DUE TO UNCERTAINTIES IN THE FORECAST AND LOCAL
    FEATURES. IN PARTICULAR MAXIMUM TSUNAMI AMPLITUDES ON ATOLLS
    WILL LIKELY BE MUCH SMALLER THAN THE FORECAST INDICATES.

  * FOR OTHER AREAS COVERED BY THIS PRODUCT A FORECAST HAS NOT
    YET BEEN COMPUTED. THE FORECAST WILL BE EXPANDED AS NECESSARY
    IN SUBSEQUENT PRODUCTS.