Monday, March 28, 2005

Update: Quake sets off tsunami warnings

A major earthquake, measuring between 8.2 and 8.5 on the Richter scale has struck the island of Sumatra, in Indonesia, trigging tsunami warnings throughout the region. The quake apparently emanated from the same fault line that caused the Dec. 26 tsunami. UPDATE: The U.S. Geological Survey now puts the quake's power at 8.7:
The U.S. Geological Survey said the temblor, which occurred at 11:09 p.m. local time (11:09 a.m. EST), measured a magnitude of 8.2. A later reading put the magnitude at 8.7, said Paul Earle, a USGS research geophysicist.
Updated: Fox News:

The U.S. Geological Survey reported an 8.2 magnitude temblor in the sea 880 miles northwest of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island. A USGS official said the quake may be an aftershock from the deadly Dec. 26 earthquake that produces killer tsunami waves that hit as far away as Somalia on the east coast of the African continent. The official said the quake was shallow and did not occur in deep waters, which may mean less of a deadly tsunami risk. No reports of damage were reported.
CNN:
The director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said scientists there feared another tsunami might hit the area. Charles McCreary said he could not be certain that the quake, which was 30 km deep and 203 kilometer (126 miles) from Sibolga on Sumatra Island, would cause a tsunami. "There is a potential for some wave activity," said Julie Martinez, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center, in Golden, Colo.
Drudge:
8.5 quake occurs in Indian Ocean, tsunamis feared: Japan agency+... Same location as giant quake that hit area Dec. 26... A powerful earthquake of measuring up to 8.5 on the Richter scale hit Indonesia's tsunami-devasted Sumatra island late Monday, causing major panic and power blackouts...
MSNBC:
A large earthquake was registered Monday off Indonesia's Sumatra Island, the U.S. Geological Survey reported, describing it as a "great earthquake" with a magnitude of 8.2 on the Richter scale.
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center:
Warning... This earthquake has the potential to generate a widely destructive tsunami in the ocean or seas near the earthquake. Authorities in those regions should be aware of this possibility and take immediate action. This action should include evacuation of coasts within a thousand kilometers of the epicenter and close monitoring to determine the need for evacuation further away.

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