An earthquake occurred about 45 km (30 mi) east-southeast of Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu at 11:08 AM MDT, Aug 1, 2007 (Aug 02 at 4:08 AM local time in Vanuatu).

Honda's car navigation system already maps the quickest route to a destination, avoiding traffic jams. Now, drivers will get information about earthquakes and warnings of heavy rainfall ahead on roads.

Though categorized as magnitude 7.8, the earthquake could scarcely be felt by beachgoers that afternoon. A low tide and wind-driven waves disguised the signs of receding water, so when the tsunami struck, it caught even lifeguards by surprise. That contributed to the death toll of more than 600 persons in Java, Indonesia.

Scientists at the University of Nevada, Reno are at the forefront on a number of seismological fields, including helping the world better determine whether an earthquake is big enough to generate an ocean-wide tsunami.