Quick Earthquake Messages on Twitter

Quick Earthquake Messages on Twitter

1. To read Quick Earthquake Messages (QEM) on Twitter, please visit: https://twitter.com/HKOEARTHQUAKE6E.  You may also choose "Follow" on the above web page after signing in your Twitter account.
2. QEM would provide information on worldwide earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or above as analyzed by the Hong Kong Observatory. The purpose is to notify readers and followers about earthquake occurrence and provide them with preliminary information as early as possible.  To this end, these QEM are generated and posted by computer systems without human intervention.  
3. As locally felt earthquakes of any magnitude may be of interest to the public, the Observatory will also disseminate manually prepared QEM on locally felt earthquakes on Twitter as early as possible.
4. For certain earthquake events, Observatory personnel may issue earthquake reports (http://www.weather.gov.hk/gts/equake/neqpress_e.htm) with more detailed information using the latest available information. Information given in such earthquake reports should supersede those given in the tweets if there are deviations.
5. For earthquakes not felt in Hong Kong, normally only one tweet would be posted for each event which would include origin date and time of the earthquake (Hong Kong Time), magnitude and epicentre location in latitude and longitude, a short description about reference region for the epicentre location, and an URL to Google map indicating epicentre location.  For earth tremors that are felt in Hong Kong, tweets may be issued to inform followers in three stages: (i) about reception of felt reports by the Observatory; (ii) origin date and time of the earthquake (Hong Kong Time), magnitude and epicentre location in latitude and longitude, a description about reference region for the epicentre location, and an URL to Google map indicating epicentre location; and (iii) local earthquake intensity in Hong Kong on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale when information is available.  Under special circumstances, tweets may be issued to update or delete an event.
6. Below are some samples of QEM on Twitter issued by the Observatory:
   Earthquake: 2011-03-14 09:03HKT M6.0 [36.2N,141.1E] near east coast of Honshu, Japan http://map.google.com/maps?q=loc:36.2,141.1
   Meaning: An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 occurred at 9:03 am on 14 March 2011 (Hong Kong Time) with the epicentre located near 36.2N, 141.1E.  Reference region of the epicentre location is "near the east coast of Honshu, Japan".

   Earthquake: The Observatory received reports of locally felt earth tremors.

   Meaning: The Hong Kong Observatory received a number of reports of felt earth tremors from local residents in Hong Kong.  Further information will be announced when available.

   Earthquake: 2010-1 1 - 19 14 : 42 HKT M 2 . 8 [ 22.50 N,1 13.96 E] Deep Bay. http://map.google.com/maps?loc:q=22.50,113.96 Felt in HK.

   Meaning: An earthquake of magnitude 2.8 occurred at 2:42 pm on 19 November 2010 (Hong Kong Time), with the epicentre located near 22.50N, 113.96E.  Reference region of the epicentre location is "Deep Bay".  The earth tremor was felt by a number of local residents in Hong Kong.

   Earthquake: 2010-1 1 - 19 14 : 42 HKT M 2 . 8 [ 22.50 N,1 13.96 E] Deep Bay. Felt in HK, intensity 4 on MMI scale.

   Meaning: An earthquake of magnitude 2.8 occurred at 2:42 pm on 19 November 2010, with the epicentre located near 22.50N, 113.96E.  Reference region of the epicentre location is "Deep Bay".  The earth tremor was felt by a number of local residents in Hong Kong and the local intensity in Hong Kong was estimated to be 4 on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.
7. The Observatory's computer system may not detect all earthquakes of magnitude ? 6.0 worldwide.  Past statistics indicated that detection efficiency was about 90%.
8. The reference region for describing the epicentre location is an approximate indication of the geographical location only.  It is generated automatically based on Flinn-Engdahl regionalization scheme (1995 revision), which defines boundaries at one-degree intervals of latitude and longitude, and is different from irregular political boundaries.
9. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including its servants and agents) makes no warranty, statement or representation, express or implied, with respect to the accuracy, availability, completeness or usefulness of QEM on Twitter and in so far as permitted by law, shall not have any legal liability or responsibility (including liability for negligence) for any loss, damage, or injury (including death) which may result, whether directly or indirectly, from the supply or use of such information or non-availability of information.