Ireland records sound waves from Tonga earthquake
The sound waves from a magnitude 7 earthquake that struck near Tonga in the Pacific Ocean reached Ireland on Sunday.
Seismometers in Valentia, County Kerry, and Dublin recorded the event, which prompted the issuance of a tsunami warning for the Pacific Island country.
The earthquake struck at 1.18 p.m. (GMT) on Sunday approximately 74 km southeast of Pangai and 162 km northeast of the capital city of Nuku‘alofa.
People in the capital moved inland and to higher ground following the quake before the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center lifted the tsunami warning later in the day.
The quake was measured by the USGS at a depth of 29 kilometres, and there were no reported casualties or significant structural damage.
It took 27 minutes for the sound waves to travel almost 15,000 kilometres and reach Ireland at 1.45 p.m.
Seismograph readings from Valentia and Dublin showed sound waves lasting for more than 50 minutes, emphasising the magnitude of the earthquake.
Irish seismographs also picked up the sound waves from Friday morning’s earthquake that shook Thailand and Myanmar in Southeast Asia.
