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

[ForGod'sSake]

A word of advise from one Texan to another. I'd lose the name/email addy on open posts. You never know when an oddball may be cruisin' by.

FGS

[JockoManning]

good point.

Now we all know that's something to be concerned about.

[Alamo-Girl]

I continue in prayer for all of these.

[First_Salute]

backhoe,

You may have missed Jet Jaguar's PING no. 1157, meant to bring to your attention, post no. 1155.

It is part of this series of FR pages, beginning with bd476's first post of:

Magnitude 9.0 Earthquake - OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA

That (bd476's post) is the first mention (here at FR) of the earthquake.

[backhoe]

You may have missed Jet Jaguar's PING no. 1157, meant to bring to your attention, post no. 1155.

I believe I did miss it- thanks!

[Quix]

Can you tell more about the new buldge at the Equator?

[Quix]

Isn't there a Scripture implying that at some point, the earth will tumble out of it's orbit like a drunk man stumbling around? I have always figured that would be when the old earth was done away and the new earth created.

But I suppose it could be just before God became the light of the world literally wherein we wouldn't need the sun any more.

[Quix]

Isn't there a Scripture implying that at some point, the earth will tumble out of it's orbit like a drunk man stumbling around? I have always figured that would be when the old earth was done away and the new earth created.

But I suppose it could be just before God became the light of the world literally wherein we wouldn't need the sun any more.

[Quix]

Yea. Thanks tons.

[Howlin]

I don't see how you keep up with all this stuff, but I'm sure glad you do!

[bd476]

Here's the USGS summary of Tectonic Summary for the 9.0 Quake which started the shock waves which led to the tsunami:

Tectonic Summary

Magnitude 9.0 OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 00:58:53 UTC
Preliminary Earthquake Report
U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center
World Data Center for Seismology, Denver

The devastating megathrust earthquake of December 26, 2004, occurred on the interface of the India and Burma plates and was caused by the release of stresses that develop as the India plate subducts beneath the overriding Burma plate.

The India plate begins its descent into the mantle at the Sunda trench, which lies to the west of the earthquake's epicenter. The trench is the surface expression of the plate interface between the Australia and India plates, situated to the southwest of the trench, and the Burma and Sunda plates, situated to the northeast.

In the region of the earthquake, the India plate moves toward the northeast at a rate of about 6 cm/year relative to the Burma plate. This results in oblique convergence at the Sunda trench. The oblique motion is partitioned into thrust-faulting, which occurs on the plate-interface and which involves slip directed perpendicular to the trench, and strike-slip faulting, which occurs several hundred kilometers to the east of the trench and involves slip directed parallel to the trench. The December 26 earthquake occurred as the result of thrust-faulting.

Preliminary locations of larger aftershocks following the megathrust earthquake show that approximately 1200 km of the plate boundary slipped as a result of the earthquake. By comparison with other large megathrust earthquakes, the width of the causative fault-rupture was likely over one-hundred km.

From the size of the earthquake, it is likely that the average displacement on the fault plane was about fifteen meters. The sea floor overlying the thrust fault would have been uplifted by several meters as a result of the earthquake.

The above estimates of fault-dimensions and displacement will be refined in the near future as the result of detailed analyses of the earthquake waves.

The world's largest recorded earthquakes have all been megathrust events, occurring where one tectonic plate subducts beneath another. These include:

• the magnitude 9.5 1960 Chile earthquake,
  
• the magnitude 9.2 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska, earthquake,
  
• the magnitude 9.1 1957 Andreanof Islands, Alaska, earthquake, and
• the magnitude 9.0 1952 Kamchatka earthquake. As with the recent event, megathrust earthquakes often generate large tsunamis that cause damage over a much wider area than is directly affected by ground shaking near the earthquake's rupture.

[bd476]

Thanks First Salute! :)

[First_Salute]

Bump.

[backhoe]

I don't see how you keep up with all this stuff, but I'm sure glad you do!

Actually, it drives me a little nutty sometimes... ( and I'm sure Miss Emily would ask, "How can you tell the difference?" )

[bd476]

There have been so many earthquakes and after shocks in the past seven days, that the 9.0 earthquake which occurred one week ago on December 26, 2004, has dropped off the list.

Update time = Sun Jan 2 15:32:22 UTC 2005

Here are the earthquakes in the Asia map area, most recent at the top.
(Some early events may be obscured by later ones.)

---

 MAG    DATE     UTC-TIME    LAT     LON    DEPTH    region
        y/m/d     h:m:s      deg     deg     km

 5.3  2005/01/02 12:12:13   5.470   94.501  35.0  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.9  2005/01/01 19:08:06   7.308   94.347  37.8  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.2  2005/01/01 14:29:10   8.068   93.201  20.5  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 6.5  2005/01/01 06:25:45   5.048   92.275  10.0  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 5.8  2005/01/01 04:03:13   5.457   94.445  45.5  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.7  2005/01/01 01:55:28   2.868   95.602  26.0  SIMEULUE, INDONESIA
 5.1  2004/12/31 20:13:50  36.852  140.867  90.3  NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
 5.4  2004/12/31 17:48:05   4.725   95.124  46.1  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.1  2004/12/31 16:15:44   7.670   93.984  20.5  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.6  2004/12/31 14:38:46   5.109   94.835  48.2  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.6  2004/12/31 13:41:48   3.180   95.230  30.3  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 6.0  2004/12/31 12:04:57   6.217   92.913   4.6  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 4.5  2004/12/31 11:27:49  51.335 -174.162  16.1  ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
 5.5  2004/12/31 10:58:25   5.028   94.804  36.4  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.4  2004/12/31 09:57:00   7.621   93.975  23.3  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 3.7  2004/12/31 06:51:30  53.739 -172.737 180.0  ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
 6.3  2004/12/31 02:24:01   7.127   92.556  11.9  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.9  2004/12/30 17:58:09  12.256   92.520  17.6  ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.5  2004/12/30 17:34:44   6.740   92.886  27.9  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.1  2004/12/30 13:29:45  38.929  141.479  70.7  NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
 4.6  2004/12/30 09:40:59  38.383  135.442 361.4  SEA OF JAPAN
 4.9  2004/12/30 06:38:21   8.977   92.310  35.3  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.5  2004/12/30 04:27:37   5.521   94.274  30.8  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.1  2004/12/30 01:43:05   4.216   94.249  30.0  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 5.0  2004/12/30 01:13:48  19.852   95.880  43.8  MYANMAR
 5.6  2004/12/30 01:04:51   4.234   94.201  12.7  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 5.7  2004/12/29 21:12:59   5.203   94.713  25.8  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.6  2004/12/29 18:50:21   5.539   94.345  38.6  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.0  2004/12/29 13:58:52  38.509  141.913  54.8  NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
 5.7  2004/12/29 13:20:25  28.887  130.437   7.7  RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN
 6.2  2004/12/29 05:56:51   8.781   93.218  30.0  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 6.1  2004/12/29 01:50:56   9.076   93.795  24.9  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.8  2004/12/29 01:39:41   8.318   93.184  30.0  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.1  2004/12/28 23:07:53   6.726   92.995  30.0  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.5  2004/12/28 21:47:27   8.934   93.741   9.5  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.8  2004/12/28 21:07:36  53.280 -173.826 251.4  ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
 5.4  2004/12/28 19:55:12   9.498   93.713  30.0  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.5  2004/12/28 17:11:16   9.937   93.800  47.3  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.2  2004/12/28 14:48:30   3.457   93.686  29.6  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 5.2  2004/12/28 14:30:42   4.700   95.238  47.0  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.3  2004/12/28 14:08:44  10.432   93.014  30.0  ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.1  2004/12/28 13:46:03   5.059   96.160  30.0  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.1  2004/12/28 13:06:42   6.679   93.055  20.8  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.8  2004/12/28 11:17:44   4.744   95.196  36.0  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.1  2004/12/28 09:30:40  37.244  138.790  33.4  NEAR THE WEST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
 4.6  2004/12/28 07:47:12  18.038  120.350  37.4  LUZON, PHILIPPINES
 4.9  2004/12/28 07:20:59  11.379   92.905  30.0  ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.4  2004/12/28 05:36:13   9.500   93.721  30.0  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 4.8  2004/12/28 04:36:29  13.876   93.326  30.0  ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.3  2004/12/28 03:20:20   6.817   92.808  20.8  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 4.9  2004/12/28 02:52:42   3.354   93.730  29.0  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 4.8  2004/12/28 02:05:15  13.830   93.472  30.0  ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.3  2004/12/28 00:37:53   7.654   94.152  37.2  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.4  2004/12/27 20:36:19   8.981   93.686  30.0  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.7  2004/12/27 20:10:51   2.923   95.612  23.9  SIMEULUE, INDONESIA
 5.4  2004/12/27 19:28:53   8.581   93.656  30.0  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.0  2004/12/27 19:26:58   7.810   92.133  35.9  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.1  2004/12/27 19:16:10  11.570   93.090  30.0  ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.6  2004/12/27 19:13:19  11.606   92.533  26.3  ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 4.9  2004/12/27 18:24:04   9.294   93.864  27.3  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.0  2004/12/27 18:09:34   2.753   94.636  41.6  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 5.2  2004/12/27 17:40:02   5.600   93.158   8.6  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 4.8  2004/12/27 16:18:11   4.856   94.252  30.9  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 4.4  2004/12/27 16:08:16   5.794   93.119  13.7  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 4.6  2004/12/27 15:49:32   7.195   92.272  30.0  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 4.8  2004/12/27 15:41:03  10.474   92.855  34.0  ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.1  2004/12/27 15:20:32  10.596   93.591  13.9  ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.8  2004/12/27 14:46:47  12.355   92.504  19.0  ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.2  2004/12/27 14:30:31   8.551   93.862  15.3  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 4.8  2004/12/27 14:20:56   8.265   93.548  30.0  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 4.7  2004/12/27 13:34:26   2.742   95.641  30.0  SIMEULUE, INDONESIA
 4.6  2004/12/27 12:58:16   7.762   93.230  30.0  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.1  2004/12/27 11:57:54   8.083   92.281  12.6  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.3  2004/12/27 10:46:48  13.646   93.067  23.8  ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.1  2004/12/27 10:46:39  13.661   93.099  30.0  ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.9  2004/12/27 10:05:02   4.783   95.112  24.7  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.6  2004/12/27 09:57:53   7.714   92.662   8.5  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 6.1  2004/12/27 09:39:07   5.363   94.655  35.0  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.7  2004/12/27 08:37:39   6.487   93.240  30.0  NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 5.4  2004/12/27 08:21:40   5.538   94.594  48.4  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.6  2004/12/27 07:47:36   2.685   94.489  32.6  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 5.4  2004/12/27 06:59:15   3.042   95.547  27.5  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 4.7  2004/12/27 05:16:35  14.031   93.093  30.0  ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 4.9  2004/12/27 05:10:52   5.997   93.214  26.4  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 6.1  2004/12/27 00:49:28  12.996   92.430  18.5  ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
 6.0  2004/12/27 00:32:16   5.473   94.469  33.0  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.4  2004/12/27 00:24:30   4.473   93.758  10.0  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 5.6  2004/12/26 21:06:52   4.585   96.372  45.0  NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
 5.8  2004/12/26 20:50:32   6.360  126.886 102.5  MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
 6.1  2004/12/26 19:19:56   2.776   94.171  30.0  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 5.4  2004/12/26 19:03:50   4.115   94.242  30.0  OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
 5.3  2004/12/26 18:42:44  13.751   92.969  23.5  ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION

---

FAQ about Earthquakes | Earthquake Preparedness

[bd476]

There have been so many earthquakes and after shocks in the region of last week's 9.0 quake that the 9.0 quake has been bumped off the list.

[commonguymd]

The largest one on the list is yesterday's 6.5.

[bd476]

It's kind of strange to see all the aftershocks push the largest, deadliest quake of just one week ago off the list. The information is still on the USGS website, it's just not on the first index anymore.

The number and size of after shocks is normal for that large of a quake.

[commonguymd]

Strange but yet normal? I saw a trend down in the magnitude for awhile, now it appears to be edging slighly back up now. Could there be another building up? Methinks not, but I thought I would throw it out there.

[bd476]

I sure hope not. A build up would put more pressure on the fault. It's definitely possible. California after shocks go up and down in magnitude for weeks following a big quake.

I'm also concerned about Papua New Guinea. There had been a large quake there, along with growing risk of volcanic activity a month or so ago.