Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

SUMATRA QUAKE REVISED TO 9.0 MAG
usgs ^

Posted on 12/26/2004 3:30:18 PM PST by Brian Mosely

Magnitude 9.0 - OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
2004 December 26 00:58:50 UTC

Preliminary Earthquake Report
U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center
World Data Center for Seismology, Denver

A great earthquake occurred at 00:58:50 (UTC) on Sunday, December 26, 2004. The magnitude 9.0 event has been located OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA. (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)

Small globe showing earthquake

Small map showing earthquake

Magnitude

9.0
Date-Time Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 00:58:50 (UTC)
= Coordinated Universal Time
Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 6:58:50 AM
= local time at epicenter


Location 3.298°N, 95.779°E

Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Region

OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
Distances
250 km (155 miles) SSE of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia

320 km (200 miles) W of Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia
1260 km (780 miles) SSW of BANGKOK, Thailand
1605 km (1000 miles) NW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 9.2 km (5.7 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters Nst=157, Nph=157, Dmin=>999 km, Rmss=1.35 sec, Gp= 29°,

M-type=moment magnitude (Mw), Version=9

Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Event ID usslav
Felt Reports At least 3,000 people killed in Sri Lanka, 2,300 in India, 2,000 in Indonesia, 289 in Thailand, 42 in Malaysia, 8 in Somalia and 2 in Bangladesh by tsunamis. Tsunamis also occurred on the coasts of Maldives and Cocos Island. At least 200 people killed, buildings destroyed or damaged in the Banda Aceh area, Sumatra. Felt widely in Sumatra. Also felt in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand. This is now the fourth largest earthquake in the world since 1900 and is the largest since the 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska earthquake.

Today's shallow, thrust-type earthquake occurred off the west coast of northern Sumatra at the interface between the India and Burma plates. In this region, the Burma plate is characterized by significant strain partitioning due to oblique convergence of the India and Australia plates to the west and the Sunda and Eurasian plates to the east. Off the west coast of northern Sumatra, the India plate is moving in a northeastward direction at about 5 cm per year relative to the Burma plate. Preliminary locations of larger aftershocks following today's earthquake show that approximately 1000 km of the plate boundary slipped as a result of the earthquake. Aftershocks are distributed along much of the shallow plate boundary between northern Sumatra (approximately 3 degrees north) to near Andaman Island (at about 14 degrees north).



TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: earthquake; sumatra; sumatraquake
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 301-316 next last
To: DollyCali

It shouldn't be that difficult to find out if tourists are safe or not with the hotels and customs departments knowing who was in the country and who was checked in.


61 posted on 12/26/2004 4:06:53 PM PST by nhoward14 (Freedom costs a buck-o-five.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123

I understand that DG is only 22 ft above sea level.

Seeing all those trucks washed away makes me wonder if any bombers on the ground could have been washed out to sea. Anybody know if there was any warning time?


62 posted on 12/26/2004 4:07:24 PM PST by GOP_Proud (Those who proclaim tolerance, have the least for my views.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: All

Huge picture of Diego Garcia...

http://www.imagesatintl.com/orderimagery/imagegallery/diego_garcia_high.jpg


Lots of Military Planes and such in the picture. It is odd we have not heard anything yet.


63 posted on 12/26/2004 4:07:45 PM PST by stlnative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: DollyCali

Gotcha. Thanks


64 posted on 12/26/2004 4:08:44 PM PST by nuconvert (Everyone has a photographic memory. Some don't have film.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: Bahbah

Sorry-hubbie in control of the television, so I'm getting my news here.


65 posted on 12/26/2004 4:08:49 PM PST by sissyjane (Silk pajamas for dress up, and flannel for everyday-perfect Freeper wardrobe!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: sissyjane

RE: Diego Garcia. Open this link and expand the map. Diego Garcia is right in the middle of the Indian Ocean midway between Sumatra and East Africa.

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/islands_oceans_poles/indianoceanarea.jpg


66 posted on 12/26/2004 4:08:52 PM PST by Rebelbase (Who is General Chat?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: Rebelbase

Are those bombers outfitted for nuclear? Someone said that they were in another thread, but I doubt it. Perhaps that is why the silence though.


67 posted on 12/26/2004 4:09:05 PM PST by commonguymd (the commonguy's corner bar blogspot - http://commonguyva.blogspot.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123

Nice map - thanks.


68 posted on 12/26/2004 4:09:26 PM PST by commonguymd (the commonguy's corner bar blogspot - http://commonguyva.blogspot.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: Rebelbase; All

I just sent the Diego Garcia FAO and email. Lets cross our fingers.


69 posted on 12/26/2004 4:09:27 PM PST by U S Army EOD (John Kerry, the mother of all flip floppers.I)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: nhoward14
Diego is most likely just fine. The structures are designed to survive a nuke strike....more applicably in this case a nuke near miss as well. With plenty of warning I suspect the damage was minimal. Plus, if I'm not mistaken it's surrounded by very deep water. A tsumani in the deep ocean is more like a ripple than a wave. It's when it hits a shallow coastal shelf that it becomes hugh and series.

-Eric

70 posted on 12/26/2004 4:09:52 PM PST by E Rocc
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: nhoward14

My husband was stationed on Diego Garcia years ago. We've been wondering if it's still there. Would you mind pinging me if you hear anything about it?


71 posted on 12/26/2004 4:09:58 PM PST by Darnright
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: brigette

Seems things are still uncertain - those casualty figures are bound to rise. Here in Sweden just one tour operator (Fritidsresor) is still missing 800 of its travellers in Thailand.


72 posted on 12/26/2004 4:10:10 PM PST by dob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: RightWhale

The San Fransico earthquake of 89 was like 300,000 tons of dynamite, this one was like 3 BILLION tons.

Whew doggie!


73 posted on 12/26/2004 4:10:39 PM PST by Hillary's Lovely Legs (Santa, Shmanta, just send an unlimited Black Amex Card and I am set.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: furball4paws

I just sent a few emails to the websites for Navy facilities on Diego Garcia. I'll let you know if I hear anything.


74 posted on 12/26/2004 4:10:53 PM PST by ProudVet77 (MERRY CHRISTMAS, damn it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Rebelbase


Diego Garcia circled in red.
75 posted on 12/26/2004 4:10:54 PM PST by jimbo123
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: Bahbah

Yes you did, if it is dark where you are now, you better buy a lot of batteries because you will need them for a long time.


76 posted on 12/26/2004 4:11:02 PM PST by U S Army EOD (John Kerry, the mother of all flip floppers.I)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: missyme
Hate to say it, but California is way over due for a big-one. The last large quake (by their standards was in the desert and felt more in Arizona and Nevada, but the last really big one was 11 years ago this January in the San Fernando Valley and the last one on the San Andreas??? -- pressure on the San Andreas must be huge by now...

Been having a lot of medium quakes; which can be good, but still. Remember Loma Prieta was actually miles and miles from San Francisco but did the most damage in SF itself.

77 posted on 12/26/2004 4:11:22 PM PST by Arizona Carolyn
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Rebelbase

So,obviously if the Seychelles and east coast of Africa felt the effects of the tsunami, then Diego Garcia would have had to as well. It's in the direct line.

If anyone hears anything could you please ping me.


78 posted on 12/26/2004 4:12:21 PM PST by sissyjane (Silk pajamas for dress up, and flannel for everyday-perfect Freeper wardrobe!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: BIGLOOK
You can use slurry explosives which are commercial in nature or pump acetylene in and set it off like we did in Vietnam. Worked great.
79 posted on 12/26/2004 4:12:32 PM PST by U S Army EOD (John Kerry, the mother of all flip floppers.I)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: Brian Mosely

Anyone know if Diego Garcia naval base is in that area?


80 posted on 12/26/2004 4:12:36 PM PST by deaconjim (Freep the world!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 301-316 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson