December 2004 Earhquake in Northern Sumatra, Indonesia
The December 2004 Earthquake in Northern Sumatra, Indonesia
Sarah Loiacano
November 16, 2010
Geology Section H004
On December 26, 2004, mass destruction and devastation was the result of a large earthquake off of the West Coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The earthquake began in the early morning on Sunday at 7:58:53 AM, and wreaked havoc on thousands in the affected areas. BBC News reported on the earthquake, stating that “Sunday’s tremor – the fourth largest since 1990 – had a particularly widespread effect because it seems to have taken place just below the surface of the ocean, analysts say” (BBC News). The earthquake had significant effect on the region and the people living in these regions. Not only was the earthquake damaging and devastating, but the quake was also the cause of a correlated tsunami that caused even more damage and destruction to the area. “This earthquake is the largest event in the world in 40 years, and produced the most devastating tsunami recorded in history” (Lay). “Coastal communities across South Asia – and more than 4,000 km away in Africa – were swept away and homes engulfed by waves up to 10 m high after the quake created a tsunami that sped across the ocean” (BBC News). The geographic location of the Earthquake in absolute location is 3.316˚North, 95.854˚East; and the relative location of the quake was off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra, which was 155 miles South Southeast of Banda Aceh, Sumatra Indonesia, and 185 miles West of Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia (USGS). The earthquake that shook the West of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, as well as many other neighboring countries, was of a great 9.0 magnitude on the Richter scale. “At the source of the earthquake, the interface between the India plate and the Burma plate dips about 10 degrees to the east-northeast. The subducting plate dips more steeply at greater depths”(USGS). The quake occurred when the Earth’s crust, a 1,200 km segment of the crust, shifted
Sarah Loiacano
November 16, 2010
Geology Section H004
On December 26, 2004, mass destruction and devastation was the result of a large earthquake off of the West Coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The earthquake began in the early morning on Sunday at 7:58:53 AM, and wreaked havoc on thousands in the affected areas. BBC News reported on the earthquake, stating that “Sunday’s tremor – the fourth largest since 1990 – had a particularly widespread effect because it seems to have taken place just below the surface of the ocean, analysts say” (BBC News). The earthquake had significant effect on the region and the people living in these regions. Not only was the earthquake damaging and devastating, but the quake was also the cause of a correlated tsunami that caused even more damage and destruction to the area. “This earthquake is the largest event in the world in 40 years, and produced the most devastating tsunami recorded in history” (Lay). “Coastal communities across South Asia – and more than 4,000 km away in Africa – were swept away and homes engulfed by waves up to 10 m high after the quake created a tsunami that sped across the ocean” (BBC News). The geographic location of the Earthquake in absolute location is 3.316˚North, 95.854˚East; and the relative location of the quake was off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra, which was 155 miles South Southeast of Banda Aceh, Sumatra Indonesia, and 185 miles West of Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia (USGS). The earthquake that shook the West of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, as well as many other neighboring countries, was of a great 9.0 magnitude on the Richter scale. “At the source of the earthquake, the interface between the India plate and the Burma plate dips about 10 degrees to the east-northeast. The subducting plate dips more steeply at greater depths”(USGS). The quake occurred when the Earth’s crust, a 1,200 km segment of the crust, shifted
Cited: BBC News. (December 28, 2004). Quake prompts massive aid effort. BBC NEWS.com. Retrieved on November 11, 2010, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4129371.stm Elliot, Michael. (January 2, 2005). Sea of Sorrow. TIME. Retrieved on November 11, 2010, from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article.0,9171,1013255,00.html Lay, Thorne. (January 1, 2006). The Great Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake of 26 December 2004. IRIS image gallery. Retrieved on November 11, 2010, from http://www.iris.edu/hq/gallery/photo/3764 Marshall, Jeff Dr. (January 10, 2005). 2004 Sumatra Earthquake and Indian Ocean Tsunami Lecture Notes. OSU Pomona. Retrieved on November 11, 2010 from http://www.osupomona.edu/~marshall/Ind_OC_Tsunami_Lec.v4.htm Pararas-Carayannis, George. (2005). The Great Earthquake and Tsunami of 26 December 2004 in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. DrGeorgePC.com. Retrieved on November 11, 2010, from http://www.drgeorgepc.com/Tsunami2004Indonesia.html USGS. (February 5, 2009). Magnitude 9.1-Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra. USGS.gov. Retrieved on November 12, 2010, from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/index.php