[onnoonno]

> My assumption, guess really, is that they were remotely activated into "Tsunami Mode" -- a more rapid-pulse reporting mode or similar, which just is a bit noisier perhaps?

That sounds like a very good guess. But then, the spikes that are purported to be the Tsunami in the media is just the ADC having a couple bad samples from being switched into a different mode or so :-)

If any USGS person is reading this thread here: Take it as a issue report that your page should be readable and understandable by lay persons, at least lay persons with a non-geophysics STEM background :D