Tsunami Update Issued for East Coast After Greenland Volcano Island Quake

The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center has said there is no tsunami danger for the East Coast of the United States after an earthquake occurred east of Greenland on Sunday.

The Context

The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center, operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), detects and analyzes earthquakes worldwide to assess their potential to generate tsunamis.

Upon identifying a potential tsunami threat, the NTWC issues timely warnings and advisories to local officials and the public in affected areas, enabling them to take necessary precautions such as evacuations or moving vessels to deeper waters.

What To Know

The NTWC said a preliminary assessment indicated that the earthquake was a 6.6-magnitude event that occurred at 10:33 local time at a depth of nine miles in the Jan Mayen Island region, east of Greenland.

Jan Mayen is a remote Norwegian island in the Arctic Ocean, approximately 600 kilometers northeast of Iceland and 500 kilometers east of Greenland. The island stretches about 55 kilometers from southwest to northeast and covers an area of approximately 373 square kilometers.

Geographically, Jan Mayen consists of two distinct regions: the larger Nord-Jan in the northeast and the smaller Sør-Jan in the southwest, connected by a narrow isthmus approximately 2.5 kilometers wide.

Nord-Jan is dominated by Beerenberg, an active volcano rising to 2,277 meters, making it the highest peak on the island and the northernmost active volcano above sea level in the world.

The island’s volcanic activity is attributed to the Jan Mayen hotspot, an area of volcanic activity where magma rises through the Earth’s crust.

Beerenberg has a history of documented eruptions. The earliest recorded eruption occurred in 1616. Subsequent eruptions have been recorded, with six events since 1732. In the 20th century, eruptions recorded included events in 1970, 1973, and 1985.

The 1985 eruption was comparatively minor, lasting only a few hours.

Human presence on Jan Mayen is minimal and primarily associated with meteorological and military operations. It has been a nature reserve since 2010.

What People Are Saying

The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center said in an update on Sunday: “Based on earthquake information and historic tsunami records, the earthquake is not expected to generate a tsunami.”

Volcaholic, a page dedicated to sharing extreme weather news, Monday morning on X, formerly Twitter: “That was a biggie! 6.5 magnitude earthquake hits the Jan Mayen Island Region…”