Magnitude 9.0 Earthquake - OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA

USGS Earthquake Hazards ^ | 2004 December 26 00:58:55 UTC

[bd476]

Magnitude 8.1 - OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
2004 December 26 00:58:55 UTC

Preliminary Earthquake Report
West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center/NOAA/NWS

A great earthquake occurred at 00:58:55 (UTC) on Sunday, December 26, 2004. The magnitude 8.1 event has been located OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA. (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)

Magnitude	8.1
Date-Time	Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 00:58:55 (UTC) = Coordinated Universal Time Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 6:58:55 AM = local time at epicenter
Location	3.400°N, 95.700°E
Depth	40 km (24.9 miles) set by location program
Region	OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
Distances	235 km (145 miles) S of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia 330 km (205 miles) W of Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia 1620 km (1000 miles) NW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia 3405 km (2120 miles) SE of NEW DELHI, Delhi, India
Location Uncertainty	Error estimate not available
Parameters	Nst=020, Nph=020, Dmin=>999 km, Rmss=0.98 sec, Gp=101°, M-type=moment magnitude (Mw), Version=1
Source	West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center/NOAA/NWS
Event ID	at00000264

Location Maps: 10-degree NEIC Maps Did you feel it? Report shaking and damage at your location. You can also view a map displaying accumulated data from your report and others. Historical Moment Tensor Solutions Seismic Hazard Map Historical Seismicity Theoretical P-Wave Travel Times Magnitude 7 and Greater Earthquakes This Year TsunamiBulletin Archive of newsworthy events

[ken5050]

Whoa..Godzilla...how does a wave get refracted around the tip of the island?...If I understand your other points correctly, I erred in looking at the map and viewing the quake as a "point source"..and it was over a wide region..where the waves had a straight shot towards Thailand...then is it correct that had the eqicenter been more to the north...Thailand woudl have been hit much harder, if such a thing is possible?

[Conspiracy Guy]

Yes it does.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Yes it is.

[Godzilla]

Whoa..Godzilla...how does a wave get refracted around the tip of the island?...

It has to do with wave propagation properties the following link provides a little insight.

http://www.coastal.udel.edu/ngs/waves.html

In short, the wave travels slower in shallower water, causing it to bend around features.

[fastattacksailor]

"If they called it anything but "great" it would be more fitting. Monstrous, Extra large... something like that. :)
"

A relative of mine was in Anchorage during the 9.2 quake of Good Friday, 1964.

He said "HOLY S**T" would be an appropriate name instead of GREAT.

I have to agree---and the biggest quake I've been in was 'only' a 7.2.

[capitan_refugio]

There has been no word from some of the Andaman Islands and Nicobar Islands. Apparently one Indian Air Force base was wiped out on one of the Indian-owned islands. The largest island in the Nicobar chain, close to many of the aftershock epicenters, is out of touch completely.

It must be a nightmare for the survivors there -if any.

[capitan_refugio]

Car bombs and bullets kill civilians as well as soldiers. I hope he's making good money, though.

[capitan_refugio]

Think of the energy released in the form of seismic seawaves throughout the Indian Ocean basin like a bright light in a room with windows. Some of that light energy is going to leak out of the room through the window and doors and illuminate other areas - not quite as brightly as near the source.

Similarly, the energy in the seismic seawave is going to pass through openings between the islands and refract around impediments. There are reports of very small tsunami activity in the Pacific Basin and in the south Atlantic Ocean, but with the energy in the waves very much dissipated.

[capitan_refugio]

Good points. I had not read your replies to ken5050 before posting my own.

Anybody who has surfed along the California coast, especially near the Rincon, understands the practical effects of refracting waves. ;^)

[capitan_refugio]

"Great" is being used in the older sense, as in Great Britain. "Big"

[Godzilla]

Anybody who has surfed along the California coast, especially near the Rincon, understands the practical effects of refracting waves. ;^)

Practical application!

[fastattacksailor]

There is big and there is BIG!

[fastattacksailor]

I think it doubtful that there are any survivors there :-(

[Godebert]

"Car bombs and bullets kill civilians as well as soldiers. I hope he's making good money, though."

That is certainly true....but civilians working for contractors aren't "deployed" as MikeInIraq states on his homepage. He sure seems to have plenty of time to post on FreeRepublic. Our tax dollars at work.

[happy_happy_joy_joy]

bookmark

[Cheetah1]

Financial Donations You can help those affected by the floods and countless other crises around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance, and other support to those in need. Donate online or call toll free 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-257-7575 for Spanish speakers) or you can mail in your gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

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AmeriCares is preparing emergency relief flights that will focus on bringing medicines and medical supplies, water purification treatments and other types of assistance to the affected areas. Reports indicate that more than 50,000 people have been killed by powerful tsunamis caused by a 9.0 earthquake near Sumatra. Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India have the greatest number of casualties, and the death toll is expected to grow even higher.

Your donation is essential and will be applied to relief efforts in this crisis

To Donate Online










Emergency: Earthquake in South Asia
December 27, 2004 In response to the earthquake and tsunamis that have devastated parts of South Asia over the past weekend, Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is preparing to provide emergency assistance to people affected by the disaster. MSF is readying a full charter of relief supplies for the area of Indonesia closest to the epicentre of the earthquake.


In addition, MSF medical teams are on the ground in Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Myanmar assessing emergency needs and offering assistance. MSF field teams in all countries where MSF is present, including Somalia and Kenya, are also investigating damage from the disaster.

To Donate Online

[oceanperch]

ROTFLMAO

Depends on your perspective Mike.

LOLOMG

[oceanperch]

Bozo St Peter here. Always rushing to help out before I stop to think or listen to what is actually going on and would be the first to be a chicken shi* then hearing the Rooster Crow.

I seem to be overcoming that quite nicely as I mature though into my late fourties. Surprising some who have known me for many years of course they don't want to believe it is inspired by my personal relationship with you know who.

[b4its2late]

It's Bush's fault!

If that wasn't the faults name when the earthquake occurred, it probably is its' name now....

[oceanperch]

I have only listened to a smidgen of the talking heads on Fox but IMO it sounds like UN and others are already calling Bush/America stingy on the relief.

Idiots don't understand in this day and age (food for oil ect) first enough money should be given to organize a relief effort then assess who is running the show and to ensure those who need the help get it.

All we need is to send billions of dollars that end up going to update manufacturing plants ect. that are no where near the areas of devastation.

BTW My India has some awesome linen designs that I order through American Companies who do the importing.