Tsunami Warning System worked for latest Indonesian Earthquake

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a local tsunami watch for Indonesia 0822Z 20 FEB 2008. The copy forwarded by the interim Indian Ocean Center is timed at one minute later 08:23:21 GMT. The watch was canceled at 0947Z 20 FEB 2008.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center's system provided a map and details of the earthquake.

PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 0822Z 20 FEB 2008

THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.

... A LOCAL TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT ...

A TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR

INDONESIA

FOR OTHER AREAS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION...THIS MESSAGE IS FOR
INFORMATION ONLY AT THIS TIME.

THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.  ONLY
NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE
DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND
ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

ORIGIN TIME -  0809Z 20 FEB 2008
COORDINATES -   2.8 NORTH   96.0 EAST
LOCATION    -  OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
MAGNITUDE   -  7.2

EVALUATION

A DESTRUCTIVE WIDESPREAD TSUNAMI THREAT DOES NOT EXIST BASED ON 
HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI DATA.                         
                                                             
HOWEVER - THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF A LOCAL TSUNAMI THAT      
COULD AFFECT COASTS LOCATED USUALLY NO MORE THAN A HUNDRED      
KILOMETERS FROM THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER. AUTHORITIES FOR THE   
REGION NEAR THE EPICENTER SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS POSSIBILITY.  
AREAS FURTHER FROM THE EPICENTER COULD EXPERIENCE SMALL SEA     
LEVEL CHANGES AND STRONG OR UNUSUAL COASTAL CURRENTS.           

DUE TO ONLY LIMITED SEA LEVEL DATA FROM THE REGION IT MAY NOT
BE POSSIBLE FOR THIS CENTER TO RAPIDLY CONFIRM NOR EVALUATE THE
STRENGTH OF A TSUNAMI IF ONE HAS BEEN GENERATED.

ESTIMATED INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES AT FORECAST POINTS
WITHIN THE WARNING AND WATCH AREAS ARE GIVEN BELOW. ACTUAL
ARRIVAL TIMES MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE
LARGEST. A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE TIME BETWEEN
SUCCESSIVE WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.

LOCATION         FORECAST POINT     COORDINATES     ARRIVAL TIME
--------------------------------    ------------    ------------
INDONESIA        SIMEULUE            2.5N  96.0E    0827Z 20 FEB

THIS WILL BE THE ONLY BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI
WARNING CENTER FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
BECOMES AVAILABLE.

THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY MAY ISSUE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FOR THIS EVENT. IN THE CASE OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION...
TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 001

MORE CONSERVATIVE INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED FOR SAFETY.