Posted on 12/25/2004 9:15:48 PM PST by M. Espinola
Jakarta, Dec. 26. (AP): An earthquake measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale rocked large parts of Southeast Asia early today.
The quake reportedly caused dozens of small buildings to collapse and triggered tidal waves in northwestern Indonesia, witnesses and officials said.
Nine people were killed as a result of the undersea quake in Indonesia's northwestern province of Aceh, where most of the damage was reported, el-Shinta radio station quoted a witness as saying.
It was not possible to immediately confirm the reports.
Electricity and telephone networks in parts of the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, were knocked out and dozens of shops and buildings collapsed, witnesses told el-Shinta.
"The ground was shaking for a long time," Yayan Zamzani told the station. "It must be the strongest earthquake in the last 15 years."
The quake was also felt in neighboring Thailand and Malaysia. No major damage was reported in those two countries.
A tidal wave hit the Thai tourist resort island Phuket with waves as high as five meters 5 (16 feet) after the earthquake, Thailand's meteorology department said.
The U.S. Geological Survey's Web site recorded the magnitude 8.5 earthquake off the west coast of Northern Sumatra, 1,620 kilometers (1,000 miles) northwest of Jakarta. It was centered 40 kilometers (25 miles) below the seabed, the Web site reported. The survey initially reported the quake as 8.1.
Residents in the towns of Lhokseumawe and Banda Aceh in the northwestern province of Aceh reported tidal waves had triggered flooding in coastal regions.
An Associated Press reporter in Lhokseumawe said several houses had been damaged and that water levels on main streets in the town had reached one-meter (three-feet) high. At least one house had been swept away, he said.
Hundreds of people were fleeing to higher ground, he said.
Indonesia, a country of 17,000 islands, is prone to seismic upheaval because of its location on the margins of tectonic plates that make up the so-called the "Ring of Fire" around the Pacific Ocean basin.
The quake came just three days after an 8.1 quake struck the ocean floor between Australia and Antarctica, causing buildings to shake hundreds of miles away but no serious damage or injury.
Quakes reaching a magnitude 8 are very rare. A quake registering magnitude 8 rocked Japan's northern island of Hokkaido on Sept. 25, 2003, injuring nearly 600 people. An 8.4 magnitude tremor that stuck off the coast of Peru on June 23, 2001, killed 74.
...and on Christmas Day. Guess all these Christ hating freaks have a legitimate reasoln to be crapping their pants after all. :)
Good thing lots of them own laundries.
Buddy - stay safe if you've only got 16 days left on your tour (tag line). I've got a friend and neighbor (reservist in communications) who is shipping out in January - second tour in the mideast.
Ping
There is a lot heavy duty seismic activity taking place in the greater area as we type.
I am gonna...believe me.....
I dont know if I will have another tour out in the ME or not after this....
'cause that would totally suck!
-good times, G.J.P.(Jr.)
Yes I can....
I was born to Americans abroad....my dad was stationed in Stuttgart after my mom got out of the Army and they got married....
I see.
So when are you forming your exploratory committee?
Tidal Wave Caused by Massive Earthquake Kills 160 in Sri Lanka
New research suggests that tsunamis are often related to underwater landslides, triggered sometimes hours after the quake. This was true of the "Scotch Cap" tsunami in the Aleutians that destroyed a lighthouse 100 feet above sea level. The tsunamis related to the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, which hit the west coast of North America and Hawaii, were probably related to seafloor displacement during the quake. It is too early to say what the exact mechanism was that spawned the tsunamis related to this quake. The good news is that, outside of the Indian Ocean, there is little tsunami risk.
I guess you are basically right, it is just a dirt one.
LOL
when I hit 35...
I still have 11 years to go man...
Dang! 160+ dead! That puts this in a whole new light. Lots of mourning on Christmas this year.
Use this website:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/
Poking around the web earlier today I ran across an article on the 1964 tsunami....apparently they carefully examined the sea floor recently and to their immense surprise didn't find an underwater landslide. That whole tsunami seems to be somewhat of a mystery.
Regarding the mainshock tonight a lot about it seems strange. It may take months to sort out what happened and exactly how big it was.
What I don't get is ALL of the large aftershocks being NORTH of the epicenter of the mainshock.
Ah, another military brat! Blessings, stay safe and come home.
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