An 8.9 Richter scale earthquake off the eastern coast of Japan has created the risk of a tsunami striking the coast lines of many countries around the Pacific rim. This threat has already been demonstrated by the destructive power of the tsunami that hit Japan shortly after the quake. This tsuami will not be nearly as strong as the one that was triggered by the 2004 Ache Earthquake, but none the less the wave has already proven itself deadly with more than 30 people in Japan killed. That number is expected to rise. Whole islands, such as those that make up Tuvalu may become completely submerged for a period. The clean up from this will take months, if not years in Japan, and other areas, that become impacted by the tsunami. Note that just because the graphic above shows times for the arrival of the tsunami, that those times are approximate, and that it is possible that no tsunami arrives at all.
Update (11 March 2011|18:31): Thus far (nearly 12 hours since the quake struck) I have yet to hear of a major tsunami striking any country other than Japan. Indonesia and the Philippines in the clear.
*Image via the Los Angeles Times
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