Friday, March 11, 2011

8.9 Earthquake hits Japan. UPDATED

U.S. Geological Survey: Magnitude 8.8 Earthquake Strikes Northern Japan.

Current USGS updates

Major Earthquake, Tsunami Hit Japan
USGS upgrades Japan quake to 8.9 magnitude
Magnitude 8.9 earthquake rocks Japan



Update No. 20
On 11.03.2011 at 18:10 GMT+2

A devastating tsunami triggered by the biggest earthquake on record in Japan killed at least 1,000 people along the northeastern coast on Friday after a wall of water swept away everything in its path. Thousands of residents were evacuated from an area around a nuclear plant north of Tokyo after fears of a radiation leak, but officials said problems with the reactor's cooling system were not at a critical level. Underscoring grave concerns about the plant, the U.S. air force delivered coolant to the facility, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. The unfolding disaster in the wake of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and 10-meter (33-feet) high tsunami prompted offers of help from dozens of countries. China said rescuers were ready to help with quake relief while President Barack Obama told Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan the United State would assist in any way. Stunning TV footage showed a muddy torrent of water carrying cars and wrecked homes at high speed across farmland near the coastal city of Sendai, home to one million people and which lies 300 km (180 miles) northeast of Tokyo. Ships had been flung onto a harbor wharf, where they lay helplessly on their side. Japanese politicians pushed for an emergency budget to fund relief efforts after Kan asked them to "save the country" . Japan is already the most heavily indebted major economy in the world, meaning any funding efforts would be closely scrutinized by financial markets.

Domestic media said the death toll was expected to exceed 1,000, most of whom appeared to have drowned. The extent of the destruction along a lengthy stretch of coastline suggested the death toll could rise significantly. Tsunami warnings were issued across the Pacific but were later lifted for some of the most populated countries in the region, including Australia, Taiwan and New Zealand. Even in a nation accustomed to earthquakes, the devastation was shocking. "A big area of Sendai city near the coast, is flooded. We are hearing that people who were evacuated are stranded," said Rie Sugimoto, a reporter for NHK television in Sendai. "About 140 people, including children, were rushed to an elementary school and are on the rooftop but they are surrounded by water and have nowhere else to go." The quake, the most powerful since Japan started keeping records 140 years ago, sparked at least 80 fires in cities and towns along the coast, Kyodo said. Other Japanese nuclear power plants and oil refineries were shut down and one refinery was ablaze. Television footage showed an intense fire in the waterfront area near Sendai. There were also reports that an irrigation dam had broken and swept away houses in Fukushima prefecture.


Update No. 19
On 11.03.2011 at 17:58 GMT+2

The Sendai airport in Japan became flooded. Thus all flights were shut down. The subway system in Tokyo was closed due to the earthquake. There were power outages after the earthquake. Also, cell phone systems became overloaded and thus cut people off from communicating with their friends and family. This surely led to an air of isolation, which makes any disaster all the more upsetting. Best wishes to the people of Japan as the country recovers from this devastating earthquake. The people there must still be in shock. Let’s hope Japan gets a lot of help to get everything running normally again after damage from the earthquake and tsunami.


Update No. 18
On 11.03.2011 at 15:52 GMT+2

At least 93 people have been killed in the devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Japan on Friday, according to the first official death toll from police. The official Kyodo News Agency reported that about 88 000 people were missing after a tsunami triggered by the quake swept away houses, farmlands and vehicles. Up to 300 bodies were found in the beach of Sendai, the closest city to the epicenter of the quake. The city has a population of 74 000. A large waterfront area near the city is on fire. Houses and other buildings are also ablaze near the Kesennuma city in Miyagi prefecture, near Sendai.


Update No. 17
On 11.03.2011 at 14:56 GMT+2

- Yokota received 11 commercial airliners; disposing pending. Red Cross set up relief center if needed.
- Rail lines and major roads in Tokyo closed down.
- Numerous prefectures without power.
- Indications of initial tsumani waves withdrawing.
- Update on Okinawa - wave estimated to hit back to 1812; USMC evacuating lower areas.
- Ambassador Roos has called USFJ commander; not sure of conversation. Not thought any Japan request for US support yet.
- AMB Tokyo has been in contact w/GOJ officials and offered USG assistance. Gen Burt Field @ USFJ is in contact with peers in GOJ, and offers for assistance have been made at all levels, and appropriate checklists are being run.
- Irt the 3x USAF bases in Japan, there are ongoing EOC meetings, NOSIG reports at this time, aftershocks still being felt. Sendai, halfway up the Japanese coastline seems to be the hardest hit with some tank farm fires, etc and that’s being shown on news.
- Misawa has some minor power outages, but all manageable
- Yokota accepted 6x commercial airliners that diverted w/precautionary Haneda a/p closure, but GOJ has not got 2 of the 4 runways there back open. No significant issues in accepting the a/c.




Update No. 16
On 11.03.2011 at 14:54 GMT+2

- Miyagi police say 200-300 bodies found at coastal area in Sendai city
- Death toll from Japan quake rises to 64
- Police report major explosion at petrochemical complex in Sendai
- Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano says evacuation from near nuclear plant is precautionary
- Evacuation instruction on Fukushima plant problem 'just in case'
- Preliminary reports indicated some cooling functions at Fukushima nuclear plant not working properly; no radiation leak so far;




Update No. 15
On 11.03.2011 at 12:52 GMT+2

A ferocious tsunami spawned by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded slammed Japan's eastern coast Friday, killing at least 60 people as it swept away boats, cars and homes while widespread fires burned out of control. Tsunami warnings blanketed the entire Pacific, as far away as South America, Canada, Alaska and the entire U.S. West Coast. The magnitude 8.9 offshore quake unleashed a 23-foot (7-meter) tsunami and was followed by more than 20 aftershocks for hours, most of them of more than magnitude 6.0. Police said at least 60 people were killed and 56 were missing. The death toll was likely to continue climbing given the scale of the disaster. Dozens of cities and villages along a 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) stretch of coastline were shaken by violent tremors that reached as far away as Tokyo, hundreds of miles (kilometers) from the epicenter. "The earthquake has caused major damage in broad areas in northern Japan," Prime Minister Naoto Kan said at a news conference. Japan issued a state of emergency at a nuclear power plant after its cooling system had a mechanical failure. Trouble was reported at two other nuclear plants as well, but there was no radiation leak at any. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the measure at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima was a precaution and that the facility was not in immediate danger. Even for a country used to earthquakes, this one was of horrific proportions because of the tsunami that crashed ashore, swallowing everything in its path as it surged several miles (kilometers) inland before retreating. Large fishing boats and other sea vessels rode high waves into the cities, slamming against overpasses or scraping under them, snapping power lines along the way. Upturned and partially submerged vehicles were seen bobbing in the water. Ships anchored in ports crashed against each other.

Update No. 14
On 11.03.2011 at 12:42 GMT+2

The death toll from a massive earthquake that hit the north-east of Japan on Friday has reached 38, NHK Television reported. The 8.9-magnitude quake that struck about 373 kilometers from the capital Tokyo sparked a tsunami that hit the Miyagi and Iwate prefectures, sweeping away houses and cars. A tsunami more than 7.3 meters high hit the Soma port in the Fukushima Prefecture. Tsunami more than 4 meters high hit the ports of Kamaishi and Miyako in Iwate Prefecture, the Meteorological Agency said. A tsunami over 3 meters high was observed at the Oarai port in the Ibaraki Prefecture, the city of Ishinomaki city in the Miyagi Prefecture, and the Ofunato port in the Iwate Prefecture. NHK helicopter footage on live TV showed a large number of houses being washed away in Miyagi Prefecture and elsewhere. In Soma City in Fukushima Prefecture, many Oceanside houses are under water. A large number of buildings and oil facilities can be seen burning in wide areas of the Pacific coast. NHK showed footage of waves sweeping away buildings and vehicles as far as 1.5 kilometers inland. Airports were closed down and train services suspended. More than 4 million homes are without power. The country's Meteorological Agency is urging people in quake-hit areas to evacuate to higher ground to avoid tsunamis. More earthquakes measuring over 7.0 on the Richter scale could occur in and around Japan within a month, the Meteorological Agency said. The 8.9-magnitude quake that struck about 373 kilometers from the capital Tokyo sparked a tsunami that hit Miyagi and Iwate prefectures, sweeping away houses and cars. A 10-meter tsunami subsequently hit the Miyagi prefecture on Honshu. Honsu's Iwate prefecture was reported to have been hit by a 4.2-meter tsunami. Dozens of cars fell into the sea when a highway in Iwate was partly destroyed by the quake.


Update No. 13
On 11.03.2011 at 12:35 GMT+2

The 8.9-magnitude earthquake and tsunamis that hit northern Japan Friday killed and injured dozens of people besides causing much damage, officials said. Japan's National Police Agency and officials said at least 32 people were killed, including 10 in Iwate Prefecture by tsunami waves, Kyodo News said. Reports of casualties from other regions were slowly coming in with local officials reporting one death each in Miyagi, Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa, Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures. A woman died when a roof collapsed in Takahagi, Ibaraki Perfecture and a falling factory wall killed a person in the town of Haga, Tochigi Prefecture, Kyodo said. The offshore quake, the strongest ever recorded in Japan, struck at 2.46 p.m. Tokyo time, 81 miles off the coast of Sendai, capital of Miyagi Prefecture, more than 230 miles from Tokyo, at a depth of 15 miles. The quake triggered a number of powerful aftershocks including one with 7.4-magnitude and giant tsunamis, some as high as 13 feet. Besides deaths and injuries, the disaster also set off fires at refineries, plants and other sites and forced the shut down of some of the nuclear power plants. At least 4.4 million homes in the six quake-hit prefectures remained without power. In Tokyo, trains were not expected to resume service any time soon. Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa was quoted as saying the U.S. ambassador had informed him that U.S. military forces stationed in Japan would be ready to render any help. Tsunami warnings and watches have been issued for nearly the entire Pacific region including Russia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Guam, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast. A CNN report said in several office buildings in Tokyo papers were strewn all over the floor while people clung onto seats and desks during the quake. Stock markets in Asia sold off following the disaster and the Japanese yen, which had been showing much strength lately, also fell.


Update No. 12
On 11.03.2011 at 12:17 GMT+2

Japan's top government spokesman and local administrators say emergencies have been issued at two nuclear power plants over cooling-system fears in the wake of Friday's giant earthquake. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says the nuclear power plant in Fukushima developed a mechanical failure in the system needed to cool the reactor after it was shut down after the earthquake. He said there was no radiation leak. Edano said the measure was a precaution and there was no radiation leak at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant. He said the facility was not in immediate danger. Meanwhile, an administrator at the Tohoku Electric Power Co's Onagawa facility said the process for the cooling reactor is "not going as planned," adding that "nuclear emergency situation" has been declared. The company asked people nearby to stay calm, the official TV news channel NHK reported. A fire broke out at the plant following the quake, the Kyodo news agency said. Prior to the Kyodo report, the company had said it had not received information on whether there had been any problems at the plant after the disaster. At the Fukushima facility, the site of a Tokyo Electric Power nuclear power plant, a spokesman on Friday that the plant's reactor cooling system was working, denying an earlier report that it was malfunctioning. Miyagi prefecture, where it is located, was one of the areas worst hit by the tsunami. Kyodo also reported that an emergency core-cooling unit had been activated at the Fukushima nuclear plant, without giving further details. The four Japanese nuclear power plants closest to the epicenter of the quake have been safely shut down, the United Nations atomic watchdog said Friday. The quake struck just under 250 miles northeast of Tokyo, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was followed by more than a dozen aftershocks, one as strong as 7.1. Earlier, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the quake caused "major damage" in northeastern Japan, but that nuclear power facilities in the area were not damaged and there was no radiation leakage.


Update No. 11
On 11.03.2011 at 12:15 GMT+2

Fukushima nuclear plant:

North-east Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant performed an emergency shutdown Friday following a massive earthquake, the Kyodo news agency said. Reactor cooling systems shut down at Units 1 and 2 of the plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co., the industry ministry said. Japan was hit by a massive earthquake, triggering waves of tsunamis that hit coastal areas. At least 18 people have been killed and over 100 injured in the quake that measured 8.9 on the Richter scale.



Update No. 10
On 11.03.2011 at 12:12 GMT+2

Tokyo:

Many people were injured after a roof collapsed at a hall in Tokyo where a graduation ceremony for 600 students was being held, the Tokyo Fire department said, after a huge 8.9 magnitude quake hit Japan on Friday. The huge earthquake shook Japan, unleashing a powerful tsunami that sent ships crashing into the shore and carried cars through the streets of coastal towns.



Update No. 9
On 11.03.2011 at 09:04 GMT+2

A massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake shook Japan on Friday, unleashing a powerful tsunami that sent ships crashing into the shore and carried cars through the streets of coastal towns. Multiple injuries and one death were reported from the Pacific coastal area of Miyagi on the main Honshu island, police said according to media, and TV footage showed widespread flooding in the area. The quake hit in the early afternoon, also strongly shaking buildings in greater Tokyo, the world's largest urban area with 30 million people. At least six fires were reported in Tokyo, where the subway system stopped, sirens wailed and people streamed out of buildings. The first quake struck about 382 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, the U.S. Geological Survey said, revising the magnitude from an earlier 7.9. Japan is located on the "Pacific Ring of Fire" and dotted with volcanoes, and Tokyo is situated in one of its most dangerous areas.

A tsunami warning was issued for Japan, Taiwan, Russia and the Mariana Islands, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. "An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicentre within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours," the centre said in a statement. It also put the territories of Guam, the Philippines, the Marshall Islands, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Micronesia and Hawaii under a lower tsunami watch. People in Vancouver who are looking to contact friends and family in Japan are advised to register for the Finding Family Links program at their local Red Cross. "That is the best way to reconnect with people," said Bas Brusche, spokesman for the Red Cross in B.C. "In Japan there will be a registration as well." More information on Restoring Family Links is available here. The yen fell to 83.30 against the dollar from 82.81 before the quake struck. The mega-city of Tokyo sits on the intersection of three continental plates — the Eurasian, Pacific and Philippine Sea plates — which are slowly grinding against each other, building up enormous seismic pressure.

The government's Earthquake Research Committee warns of a 70 per cent chance that a great, magnitude-eight quake will strike within the next 30 years in the Kanto plains, home to Tokyo's vast urban sprawl. The last time a "Big One" hit Tokyo was in 1923, when the Great Kanto Earthquake claimed more than 140,000 lives, many of them in fires. In 1855, the Ansei Edo quake also devastated the city. More recently, the 1995 Kobe earthquake killed more than 6,400 people. More than 220,000 people were killed when a 9.1-magnitude quake hit off Indonesia in 2004, unleashing a massive tsunami that devastated coastlines in countries around the Indian Ocean as far away as Africa. Small quakes are felt every day somewhere in Japan and people take part in regular drills at schools and workplaces to prepare for a calamity. Nuclear power plants and bullet trains are designed to automatically shut down when the earth rumbles and many buildings have been quake-proofed with steel and ferro-concrete at great cost in recent decades.


Update No. 8

On 11.03.2011 at 08:55 GMT+2

It's caused at least one massive wave - called a Tsunami - that has washed away cars, boats and even buildings in the area. The quake was thought to be the biggest in Japan for 140 years, and could be felt in the capital city Tokyo. It's not clear how many people have been injured, but lot's of buildings are damaged and a big power station has been forced to shut down. The Japanese Prime Minister feels the earthquake The earthquake was so powerful it was even felt by the Prime Minister of Japan in Tokyo The center of the quake was around 240 miles away from Tokyo, but there are still reports it shook buildings in the city. Large parts of the coast have been put on Tsunami warning, as people are worried that more huge waves could hit Japan. The Richter scale is used to measure the strength of Earthquakes around the world. It's a scale of 1 to 10 and the latest to hit Japan has been measured at 8.9 - so it was really strong.

Update No. 7
On 11.03.2011 at 07:51 GMT+2

Japan was hit by a series of powerful quakes on Friday, with two major quakes measuring 8.8 and 7.1 on the Richter scale. The first 8.8-magnitude quake struck off the country's largest Honshu Island's eastern coast, 373 kilometers to the north-east of Tokyo. The second major tremor, measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale, occurred 505 kilometers to the north-east of Tokyo. A 10-meter tsunami subsequently hit the Miyagi prefecture on Honshu, local television reported. Honsu's Iwate prefecture was reported to have been hit by a 4.2-meter tsunami. Dozens of cars fell into the sea when a highway in Iwate was partly destroyed by the quake, Japan's NHK TV channel reported. There have been no reports on casualty figures. Tremor from the first quake can still be felt in Tokyo, a RIA Novosti correspondent said. A tsunami warning has also been issued for another Honshu prefecture, Fukushima. Authorities in Russia's Far Eastern Sakhalin Island also issued a tsunami warning, the local emergencies services said in a statement. Coastal areas of three of the Sakhalin region's districts may be hit by tsunami, the statement said. Japan has been hit by a series of earthquakes in the past few days, including a 7.3-magnitude quake that occurred off Japan's northeastern coast on Wednesday.

Update No. 6
On 11.03.2011 at 07:42 GMT+2

Japan was struck by a magnitude 8.9 earthquake off its northeastern coast Friday, unleashing a 13-foot (4-meter) tsunami that washed away cars and tore away buildings along the coast near the epicenter. There were reports of injuries in Tokyo. In various locations along Japan’s coast, TV footage showed massive damage from the tsunami, with dozens of cars, boats and even buildings being carried along by waters. A large ship swept away by the tsunami rammed directly into a breakwater in Kesennuma city in Miyagi prefecture, according to footage on public broadcaster NHK. Officials were trying to assess damage, injuries and deaths from the quake but had no immediate details. The quake that struck at 2:46 p.m. was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks, including a 7.4-magnitude one about 30 minutes later. The U.S. Geological Survey upgraded the strength of the first quake to a magnitude 8.9, while Japan’s meteorological agency measured it at 7.9. The meteorological agency issued a tsunami warning for the entire Pacific coast of Japan. NHK was warning those near the coast to get to safer ground. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said a tsunami warning was in effect for Japan, Russia, Marcus Island and the Northern Marianas. A tsunami watch has been issued for Guam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and the U.S. state of Hawaii.

The quake struck at a depth of six miles (10 kilometers), about 80 miles (125 kilometers) off the eastern coast, the agency said. The area is 240 miles (380 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo. In downtown Tokyo, large buildings shook violently and workers poured into the street for safety. TV footage showed a large building on fire and bellowing smoke in the Odaiba district of Tokyo. In central Tokyo, trains were stopped and passengers walked along the tracks to platforms. The ceiling in Kudan Kaikan, a large hall in Tokyo, collapsed, injuring an unknown number of people, NHK said. Footage on NHK from their Sendai office showed employees stumbling around and books and papers crashing from desks. It also showed a glass shelter at a bus stop in Tokyo completely smashed by the quake and a weeping woman nearby being comforted by another woman. Several quakes had hit the same region in recent days, including a 7.3 magnitude one on Wednesday.

Thirty minutes after the quake, tall buildings were still swaying in Tokyo and mobile phone networks were not working. Japan’s Coast Guard has set up task force and officials are standing by for emergency contingencies, Coast Guard official Yosuke Oi said. “I’m afraid we’ll soon find out about damages, since the quake was so strong,” he said

Update No. 5
On 11.03.2011 at 07:40 GMT+2

Japan was struck by a magnitude 8.9 earthquake off its northeastern coast today, unleashing a 13-foot (4-meter) tsunami that washed away cars and tore away buildings along the coast near the epicenter. There were reports of injuries in Tokyo.

Update No. 4
On 11.03.2011 at 07:22 GMT+2

Five powerful aftershock has been observed in the Pacific Ocean region.

2011-03-11 06:57:12.3 35.81 N 141.05 E 15 mb 6.0 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
2011-03-11 06:48:52.0 38.02 N 142.81 E 60 mb 6.0 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
2011-03-11 06:25:49.0 38.19 N 144.72 E 10 Mw 7.0 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
2011-03-11 06:15:45.0 36.29 N 140.25 E 28 mb 6.9 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
2011-03-11 06:06:13.0 39.07 N 142.37 E 40 mb 6.3 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN


Update No. 3
On 11.03.2011 at 06:46 GMT+2

Japan has issued its top tsunami warning after a major offshore quake measuring 8.8 hit on Friday, strongly swaying buildings in Tokyo and sending people fleeing into the streets. The meteorological agency issued its top-level evacuation alerts for the entire Japanese coast, warning of a tsunami of up to six meters. A four-meter tsunami has already engulfed parts of Kamaishi on Japan's Pacific coast and residents have been ordered to rush to high ground. "An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicenter within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours," the agency said. It also put the territories of Guam, Taiwan, the Philippines, the Marshall Islands, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Micronesia and Hawaii under a lower tsunami watch. The quake struck about 382 kilometers north-east of Tokyo at a depth of 10 kilometers, the US Geological Survey said. Smoke could be seen rising from a building in Odaiba, a Tokyo suburb, and scores of cars are floating in Iwate prefecture harbor in northern Japan. Police in Miyagi prefecture have reported numerous injuries. Shinkansen bullet trains stopped when the quake struck, while the nuclear power plant in Miyagi prefecture stopped operating. Power has been cut in Sendai city, where there are numerous reports of gas leaks. Narita airport has temporarily closed and the runways are being inspected for damage. The government has set up a crisis management team at the prime minister's office. Japan's northeast Pacific coast, called Sanriku, has suffered from quakes and tsunamis in the past and a 7.2 quake struck on Wednesday.


Update No. 2
On 11.03.2011 at 06:38 GMT+2

The earthquake's magnitude has been revised. The magnitude modified from 8.0 to 8.8 in the Richter scale.

Update No. 1
On 11.03.2011 at 06:22 GMT+2

Estimated initial Tsunami wave arrival times at forecast points within the warning and watch areas are given bellow. Actual arrival times may different and initial wave my not be the largest. A Tsunami is a series of waves and the times between successive waves can be five minutes to one hour.

JAPAN KATSUURA 35.1N 140.3E 0635Z 11 MAR
KUSHIRO 42.9N 144.3E 0642Z 11 MAR
HACHINOHE 40.5N 141.5E 0700Z 11 MAR
SHIMIZU 32.8N 133.0E 0756Z 11 MAR
OKINAWA 26.2N 127.8E 0912Z 11 MAR
RUSSIA URUP_IS 46.1N 150.5E 0714Z 11 MAR
SEVERO_KURILSK 50.8N 156.1E 0834Z 11 MAR
PETROPAVLOVSK_K 53.2N 159.6E 0836Z 11 MAR
UST_KAMCHATSK 56.1N 162.6E 0840Z 11 MAR
MEDNNY_IS 54.7N 167.4E 0903Z 11 MAR
MARCUS IS. MARCUS_IS. 24.3N 154.0E 0757Z 11 MAR
N. MARIANAS SAIPAN 15.3N 145.8E 0853Z 11 MAR
GUAM GUAM 13.4N 144.7E 0909Z 11 MAR
WAKE IS. WAKE_IS. 19.3N 166.6E 0925Z 11 MAR
TAIWAN HUALIEN 24.0N 121.7E 0932Z 11 MAR
HUALIEN 24.0N 121.6E 0933Z 11 MAR
TAITUNG 22.7N 121.2E 0936Z 11 MAR
CHILUNG 25.2N 121.8E 1004Z 11 MAR
YAP YAP_IS. 9.5N 138.1E 0944Z 11 MAR
PHILIPPINES PALANAN 17.1N 122.6E 0955Z 11 MAR
LEGASPI 13.2N 123.8E 1026Z 11 MAR
DAVAO 6.8N 125.7E 1053Z 11 MAR
MARSHALL IS. ENIWETOK 11.4N 162.3E 1013Z 11 MAR
KWAJALEIN 8.7N 167.7E 1044Z 11 MAR
MAJURO 7.1N 171.4E 1124Z 11 MAR
BELAU MALAKAL 7.3N 134.5E 1025Z 11 MAR
MIDWAY IS. MIDWAY_IS. 28.2N 182.6E 1026Z 11 MAR
POHNPEI POHNPEI_IS. 7.0N 158.2E 1027Z 11 MAR
CHUUK CHUUK_IS. 7.4N 151.8E 1034Z 11 MAR
KOSRAE KOSRAE_IS. 5.5N 163.0E 1043Z 11 MAR
INDONESIA GEME 4.6N 126.8E 1049Z 11 MAR
BEREBERE 2.5N 128.7E 1058Z 11 MAR
WARSA 0.6S 135.8E 1110Z 11 MAR
MANOKWARI 0.8S 134.2E 1118Z 11 MAR
PATANI 0.4N 128.8E 1124Z 11 MAR
JAYAPURA 2.4S 140.8E 1135Z 11 MAR
SORONG 0.8S 131.1E 1135Z 11 MAR
PAPUA NEW GUINE MANUS_IS. 2.0S 147.5E 1124Z 11 MAR
KAVIENG 2.5S 150.7E 1124Z 11 MAR
VANIMO 2.6S 141.3E 1134Z 11 MAR
WEWAK 3.5S 143.6E 1146Z 11 MAR
RABAUL 4.2S 152.3E 1154Z 11 MAR
NAURU NAURU 0.5S 166.9E 1149Z 11 MAR

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The A index [ LOW is GOOD ]

  • 1 to 6 is BEST
  • 7 to 9 is OK
  • 11 or more is BAD

Represents the overall geomagnetic condition of the ionosphere ("Ap" if averaged from the Kp-Index) (an average of the eight 3-hour K-Indices) ('A' referring to amplitude) over a given 24 hour period, ranging (linearly) typically from 1-100 but theoretically up to 400.

A lower A-Index generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; a low & steady Ap-Index generally suggest good propagation on the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

SFI index [ HIGH is GOOD ]

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The measure of total radio emissions from the sun at 10.7cm (2800 MHz), on a scale of 60 (no sunspots) to 300, generally corresponding to the sunspot level, but being too low in energy to cause ionization, not related to the ionization level of the Ionosphere.

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K index [ LOW is GOOD ]

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The overall geomagnetic condition of the ionosphere ("Kp" if averaged over the planet) over the past 3 hours, measured by 13 magnetometers between 46 & 63 degrees of latitude, and ranging quasi-logarithmically from 0-9. Designed to detect solar particle radiation by its magnetic effect. A higher K-index generally means worse HF conditions.

A lower K-Index generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; a low & steady Kp-Index generally suggest good propagation on the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

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