UPDATE: New Zealand authorities have canceled tsunami warning.

It's among the most terrifying and the most breathtaking natural phenomena.

The tsunami.

After the Japan earthquake shook the Land of the Rising Sun and a subsequent tsunami swept away homes, the world is at once frightened and obsessed with tsunamis.

New Zealand civil defense authorities have issued a tsunami warning after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean northeast of the country, the U.S. Geographical Survey said.

The USGS said the New Zealand earthquake struck at 7:03 a.m. on Thursday at the epicenter, 131 miles east of Raoul Island, part of the Kermadec archipelago, and was only 30 miles deep.

It also said a tsumani was possible, with eastern coastal areas of the North Island vulnerable, including the country's main city Auckland, arriving just before 9 a.m. local time, Reuters reported.

An aerial photo shows a residential area being hit by a tsunami in Natori, Miyagi prefecture
An aerial photo shows a residential area being hit by a tsunami in Natori, Miyagi prefecture March 11, 2011. Picture taken March 11, 2011. Reuters
Japan Tsunami From devastation to hope Before After Photos
Japan Tsunami: From devastation to hope (Before & After Photos) pablogarin.com.ar
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