7.8-Magnitude Earthquake Off Russia Prompts Brief Tsunami Advisory in Alaska– www.nytimes.com Maps: 7.8-Magnitude Earthquake Off Russia Prompts Brief Tsunami Advisory in Alaska– www.nytimes.com A major, 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean on Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The earthquake prompted a brief tsunami advisory, the second-highest alert level, for some coastal portions of western Alaska, which was lifted about two hours later. The temblor happened at 6:58 a.m. Kamchatka time about 80 miles east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, data from the agency shows. Tsunamis are a series of long waves caused by a large and sudden displacement of water in the ocean, usually from a large earthquake on or below the ocean floor. Tsunamis radiate in all directions from the epicenter and can cause dangerous coastal flooding and powerful currents that can last for hours or days. The tsunami advisory had been in place for parts of the Alaskan coast that were closest to the earthquake. Farther away, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said there was no threat to Hawaii. “Based on all available data, a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected,” it said. In late July, the same region was hit by an 8.8-magnitude earthquake. That quake, one of the strongest ever recorded, set off tsunami waves that reached as far away as Hawaii and California.
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