A strong earthquake that measured 7.3 in magnitude struck off the western coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, just after midnight local time. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake's epicenter was 262 miles southwest of Banda Aceh and struck at a depth of 18.1 miles.
Tsunami Threat
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration posted a bulletin stating there was no widespread tsunami threat due to this earthquake. However, the website Earthquake-Report.com reported local Indonesian authorities issued some tsunami alerts in some local areas following the quake.
Aftershocks and Other Quakes in the Area
At least four aftershocks that ranged in magnitude of 4.7 to 4.9 were registered by the USGS within the first three hours after the initial quake. Those aftershocks were registered at depths ranging from 17 to 19 miles and were located near the epicenter of the initial 7.3 magnitude quake.
On Saturday, there was a 4.5 magnitude quake that struck inland on the island of Sumatra. That quake was not considered dangerous and was registered by the USGS at a depth of 31.4 miles. This earthquake occurred on the eastern side of the plate boundary where Wednesday's quake was located.
Historic Seismicity
According to the USGS, this earthquake was due to strike-slip faulting that occurred along the Indo-Australian plate, at a location approximately 62 miles southwest of a major subduction zone that is made up of the Indo-Australian and Sunda plates.
Large earthquakes are not unusual in the Indonesian region and in northern Sumatra, several large quakes have caused massive death and destruction within the last century. A mega-thrust quake that struck the Sumatra-Andaman Islands in December 2004 was the third largest in recorded history at 9.1 magnitude. That quake caused a massive tsunami that left more than 225,000 people missing or dead and displaced around 1.7 million people in 14 countries.
Northern Sumatra saw an 8.6 magnitude quake three months later in March 2005. That quake left more than 1,300 people dead and created minor tsunami activity.
A 7.2 magnitude quake that struck the northern Sumatra area in May 2010 caused only slight damage and power outages.
Tammy Lee Morris is certified as a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member and is a trained Skywarn Stormspotter through the National Weather Service. She has received interpretive training regarding the New Madrid Seismic Zone through EarthScope -- a program of the National Science Foundation. She researches and writes about earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, weather and other natural phenomena.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 Response to '7.3 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Northern Sumatra'
Post a Comment