Phivolcs says no tsunami threat after magnitude 6.9 quake in Japan

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said it had not detected a tsunami threat to the country after a strong earthquake struck Kyushu, Japan on Thursday, Aug. 8.
Phivolcs said the 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit Japan’s southwesternmost island at 3:42 p.m.
“No destructive tsunami threat exists based on available data,” it pointed out, adding that “no action [is] required.”
Phivolcs explained that tsunamis are a series of sea waves commonly generated by undersea earthquakes and can reach heights of more than 5 meters.
It clarified that tsunamis are often mistakenly referred to as tidal waves and are sometimes confused with storm surges.