Indian Ocean quake/tsunami

[_Ed_]

This sounds awfully big.

Thoughts are with those who are either directly affected or know people who are.

[Flem274*]

****, really? I better take a look at the Herald.

8.7 at a depth of 33kms isn't good though.

[Burgey]

FMD, never seems to end for these poor buggers.

Apparently tsumani alerts for the Nicobar Islands of between 3-6 metres, let alone what there might be near Aceh again.

Hopefully it's too deep to cause anything massive like 04 or Japan last year.

[smalishah84]

damn....just found out about this......I hope no tsunamis

[Flem274*]

A tsunami watch was issued for countries across the Indian Ocean after a large earthquake hit waters off Indonesia on Wednesday, triggering widespread panic as residents along coastlines fled to high ground in cars and on the backs of motorcycles.

Some were crying. Others screamed "God as great" as they poured from their homes.

The US Geological Survey said the 8.7-magnitude quake was centred 33 kilometres beneath the ocean floor around 434 kilometres from Aceh's provincial capital.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii said a tsunami watch was in effect for Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Maldives and other Indian Ocean islands, Malaysia, Pakistan, Somalia, Oman, Iran, Bangladesh, Kenya, South Africa and Singapore.

A tsunami watch means there is the potential for a tsunami, not that one is imminent.

Said, an official at Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency who goes by only one name, said a tsunami warning has been issued for cities all along the coast of Sumatra island.


There was chaos in the streets, with fierce shaking continuing for nearly four minutes.

"I was in the shower on the fifth floor of my hotel," Timbang Pangaribuan told El Shinta radio from the city of Medan.

"We all ran out. ... We're all standing outside now."

He said one guest was injured when he jumped from the window of his room.

The tremor was felt in Singapore, Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia and India.

High-rise apartments and offices on Malaysia's west coast shook for at least a minute.

Thailand's National Disaster Warning Centre issued an evacuation order to residents in six provinces along the country's west coast, including the popular tourist destinations of Phuket, Krabi and Phang-Nga.

Indonesia straddles a series of fault lines that makes the vast island nation prone to volcanic and seismic activity.

A giant 9.1-magnitude quake off the country on Dec. 26, 2004, triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed 230,000 people, nearly three quarter of them in Aceh.

There is no tsunami watch or warning in force for New Zealand at this time, and based on previous quakes - a tsunami watch or warning would be unlikely for New Zealand, says WeatherWatch.co.nz.

Tsunami alert after 8.7 quake near Indonesia - World - NZ Herald News

[Flem274*]

Here's a link to it's exact location.

That's ****ing close to land.

[Flem274*]

In even ****tier news, according to USGS it was only 22 kilometres deep.

[smalishah84]

no tsunami please..........this doesn't sound good

[Spark]

Originally Posted by Flem274*

Here's a link to it's exact location.

That's ****ing close to land.

At least it's twice as far as 04, roughly. And deeper. Though 22km is a bit... wtf.

Small mercies, I know. 8.7 is on the "****ing gigantic" side of "too big for comfort".

Someone who knows the area or has access to the maps: same fault, or different one? Because I do recall people worrying about the possibility of big earthquake more or less in the same place as 04 but on a different fault. Truly nasty area.

[Flem274*]

Originally Posted by Spark

At least it's twice as far as 04, roughly. And deeper. Though 22km is a bit... wtf.

Small mercies, I know. 8.7 is on the "****ing gigantic" side of "too big for comfort".

Someone who knows the area or has access to the maps: same fault, or different one? Because I do recall people worrying about the possibility of big earthquake more or less in the same place as 04 but on a different fault. Truly nasty area.

I'm trying to find a good map. Might need to use a couple.

[Spark]

I'm having a look at the moment tensor USGS has, and from their data it looks like a strike slip. Good news. Means the chances of one of these is much lower (plates going sideways rather than up and down)

Bad news: this is seriously early data.

[Flem274*]

Can't find any fault maps of offshore Sumatra Spark. Would need to go into uni and be nosy probs.

Here's a location map anyway of the current quake



And here's an easy to read map of what the general geomorphology of the area looks like (and it looks cool). Good news is the 2004 quake is on the other side of the plate boundary. Bad news is it's an 8.7 earthquake.

[Flem274*]

Originally Posted by Spark

I'm having a look at the moment tensor USGS has, and from their data it looks like a strike slip. Good news. Means the chances of one of these is much lower (plates going sideways rather than up and down)

Bad news: this is seriously early data.

There will be some vertical displacement. How much - nfi.

[Spark]

From that, hopefully "not much".

[_Ed_]

https://twitter.com/#!/Joyday_napas/...768960/photo/1

That is not a good sign. And whoever took that photo should get the **** out of there.