EarthScience Wire

6.8-magnitude earthquake in South Pacific

Posted by
Deborah Byrd
and
October 9, 2014
Earthquake Oct. 8, 2014
Earthquake Oct. 8, 2014

The USGS reported a 6.8-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday night, October 8, 2014 in the South Pacific Ocean. The quake struck at 7:14 p.m. PDT. The epicenter was in the East Pacific Rise, about 350 miles (560 km) south-southwest of Easter Island and more than 2,000 miles from coastal towns in Chile. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a Pacific-wide tsunami warning, and the Chilean Navy reported only a 0.47-meter (1.5 foot) tsunami wave at Easter Island/ Isla de Pascua. There were no reports of injuries of damages from the quake.

Details of the earthquake, from USGS, follow:

Event Time
2014-10-09 02:14:32 UTC
2014-10-08 19:14:32 UTC-07:00 at epicenter

Location
32.115°S 110.779°W

Depth=15.5km (9.6mi)

Nearby Cities
565km (351mi) SSW of Hanga Roa, Chile
3426km (2129mi) W of Lebu, Chile
3433km (2133mi) W of Ancud, Chile
3443km (2139mi) W of Chonchi, Chile
2041km (1268mi) ESE of Adamstown, Pitcairn

Bottom line: The USGS reported a 6.8 magnitude earthquake whose epicenter was in the East Pacific Rise (S. Pacific Ocean) on Wednesday night, October 8, 2014.

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October 9, 2014
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Deborah Byrd

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About the Author:
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.

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