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Earthquake and Tsunami Map

Check out the terrific set of maps produced by the New York Times about the 8.8-magnitude earth quake in Chile earlier today.  The set includes maps depicting the tectonic plates in the region, the approximate location of the epicenter and the predicted tsunami height and arrival times across the Pacific Ocean.

I'm struck by just how quickly the wave moved.  I spent the morning refereeing basketball games and learned about the earthquake from Thelma.  I was surpised when she mentioned that a large wave was expected along the Washington coast later in the day.  That's fast.  Looking at the estimated arrival times, I wondered whether it would be quicker to fly from Santiago to Seattle or simply ride the wave.  Amazingly, the estimates were about the same.

According to arrival data from the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, the quake struck at 10:34 PM PST on 2/26.  The estimated wave arrival time in Seattle was 4:41 PM PST on 2/27.  That is 18 hours and 7 minutes from the time the earthquake occurred.  I checked travel times on Expedia for a flight from Santiago to Seattle.  The average duration for the three quickest flights is 17 hours and 54 minutes.

As it turned out, I'm not sure the wave was quite as fast as predicted.  The message canceling the tsunami advisory for Alaska shows the tsunami being observed in Dutch Harbor about 90 minutes later than expected.  Just like air travel.

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