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Posts Tagged ‘sumatra quake’

Mega Quake Strikes Off the Coast of Sumatra

Posted by feww on April 11, 2012

M8.7 Earthquake strikes off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia

The earthquake was epicentered at  2.348°N, 93.073°E and occurred at a depth of 32km, according to USGS.

Distances:

  • 435 km (270 miles) SW (215°) from Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
  • 964 km (599 miles) W (265°) from KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia


Earthquake Location Map. Source: USGS. Map enhanced by FIRE-EARTH

[NOTE: USGS has since revised quake magnitude to 8.6Mw]


Internet Intensity Map.  (Source USGS).

Tsunami Alert

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 002
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 0945Z 11 APR 2012
THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.

... AN INDIAN-OCEAN-WIDE TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT ...

A TSUNAMI WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR

 INDONESIA / INDIA / AUSTRALIA / SRI LANKA / MYANMAR / THAILAND /
 MALDIVES / UNITED KINGDOM / MALAYSIA / MAURITIUS / REUNION /
 SEYCHELLES / OMAN / PAKISTAN / SOMALIA / MADAGASCAR / IRAN /
 UAE / YEMEN / COMORES / MOZAMBIQUE / KENYA / TANZANIA /
 CROZET ISLANDS / BANGLADESH / KERGUELEN ISLANDS / SOUTH AFRICA /
 SINGAPORE
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS ORIGIN TIME - 0839Z 11 APR 2012 COORDINATES - 2.3 NORTH 93.1 EAST LOCATION - OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA MAGNITUDE - 8.7

EVALUATION

 EARTHQUAKES OF THIS SIZE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GENERATE A
 WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI THAT CAN AFFECT COASTLINES ACROSS
 THE ENTIRE INDIAN OCEAN BASIN.

 HOWEVER - IT IS NOT KNOWN THAT A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED.  THIS
 WATCH IS BASED ONLY ON THE EARTHQUAKE EVALUATION. AUTHORITIES IN
 THE REGION SHOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THE
 POSSIBILITY OF A WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI. WE ARE STILL
 WAITING FOR CONFIRMATION OF TSUNAMI FROM NEAREST SEA-LEVEL
 STATIONS.

ESTIMATED INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES AT FORECAST POINTS
WITHIN THE WARNING AND WATCH AREAS ARE GIVEN BELOW. ACTUAL
ARRIVAL TIMES MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE
LARGEST. A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE TIME BETWEEN
SUCCESSIVE WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.

 LOCATION         FORECAST POINT     COORDINATES     ARRIVAL TIME [Z, UTC, GMT]
 --------------------------------    ------------    ------------
 INDONESIA        SIMEULUE            2.5N  96.0E    0912Z 11 APR
                  BANDA_ACEH          5.5N  95.1E    0933Z 11 APR
                  SIBERUT             1.5S  98.7E    0944Z 11 APR
                  PADANG              0.9S 100.1E    1025Z 11 APR
                  BENGKULU            3.9S 102.0E    1037Z 11 APR
                  CILACAP             7.8S 108.9E    1150Z 11 APR
                  BANDAR_LAMPUNG      5.7S 105.3E    1200Z 11 APR
                  BALI                8.7S 115.3E    1234Z 11 APR
                  BELAWAN             3.8N  98.8E    1326Z 11 APR
                  KUPANG             10.0S 123.4E    1333Z 11 APR
                  BALI                8.7S 115.3E    1234Z 11 APR
 INDIA            GREAT_NICOBAR       7.1N  93.6E    0937Z 11 APR
                  LITTLE_ANDAMAN     10.7N  92.3E    1015Z 11 APR
                  NORTH_ANDAMAN      13.3N  92.6E    1045Z 11 APR
                  PORT_BLAIR         11.9N  92.7E    1050Z 11 APR
                  CHENNAI            13.4N  80.4E    1134Z 11 APR
                  TRIVANDRUM          8.3N  76.9E    1204Z 11 APR
                  KAKINADA           17.2N  82.7E    1204Z 11 APR
                  MANGALORE          13.3N  74.4E    1339Z 11 APR
                  BOMBAY             18.8N  72.6E    1605Z 11 APR
                  GULF_OF_KUTCH      22.7N  68.9E    1636Z 11 APR
 AUSTRALIA        COCOS_ISLAND       12.1S  96.7E    1046Z 11 APR
                  NORTH_WEST_CAPE    21.5S 113.9E    1312Z 11 APR
                  CAPE_INSPIRATIO    25.9S 113.0E    1413Z 11 APR
                  PERTH              32.0S 115.3E    1421Z 11 APR
                  AUGUSTA            34.3S 114.7E    1440Z 11 APR
                  GERALDTOWN         28.6S 114.3E    1456Z 11 APR
                  CAPE_LEVEQUE       16.1S 122.6E    1500Z 11 APR
                  ESPERANCE          34.0S 121.8E    1614Z 11 APR
                  KINGSTON_SOUTH_    37.0S 139.4E    1747Z 11 APR
                  HEARD_ISLAND       54.0S  73.5E    1803Z 11 APR
                  EUCLA_MOTEL        31.8S 128.9E    1824Z 11 APR
                  HOBART             43.3S 147.6E    1858Z 11 APR
                  DARWIN             12.1S 130.7E    1921Z 11 APR
 SRI LANKA        TRINCOMALEE         8.7N  81.3E    1049Z 11 APR
                  DONDRA_HEAD         5.9N  80.6E    1054Z 11 APR
                  COLOMBO             6.9N  79.8E    1121Z 11 APR
                  JAFFNA              9.9N  80.0E    1235Z 11 APR
 MYANMAR          CHEDUBA_ISLAND     18.9N  93.4E    1142Z 11 APR
                  CHEDUBA_ISLAND     18.9N  93.4E    1142Z 11 APR
                  PYINKAYAING        15.9N  94.3E    1152Z 11 APR
                  SITTWE             20.0N  92.9E    1220Z 11 APR
                  MERGUI             12.8N  98.4E    1328Z 11 APR
                  YANGON             16.5N  96.4E    1720Z 11 APR
 THAILAND         PHUKET              8.0N  98.2E    1113Z 11 APR
                  KO_PHRA_THONG       9.1N  98.2E    1203Z 11 APR
                  KO_TARUTAO          6.6N  99.6E    1233Z 11 APR
 MALDIVES         GAN                 0.6S  73.2E    1144Z 11 APR
                  MALE                4.2N  73.6E    1149Z 11 APR
                  MINICOV             8.3N  73.0E    1214Z 11 APR
 UNITED KINGDOM   DIEGO_GARCIA        7.3S  72.4E    1202Z 11 APR
 MALAYSIA         GEORGETOWN          5.4N 100.1E    1303Z 11 APR
                  PORT_DICKSON        2.5N 101.7E    1743Z 11 APR
 MAURITIUS        PORT_LOUIS         20.0S  57.3E    1500Z 11 APR
 REUNION          ST_DENIS           20.8S  55.2E    1514Z 11 APR
 SEYCHELLES       VICTORIA            4.5S  55.6E    1525Z 11 APR
 OMAN             SALALAH            16.9N  54.1E    1537Z 11 APR
                  MUSCAT             23.9N  58.6E    1544Z 11 APR
                  DUQM               19.7N  57.8E    1553Z 11 APR
 PAKISTAN         GWADAR             25.1N  62.4E    1546Z 11 APR
                  KARACHI            24.7N  66.9E    1638Z 11 APR
 SOMALIA          HILALAYA            6.4N  49.1E    1546Z 11 APR
                  CAPE_GUARO         11.9N  51.4E    1547Z 11 APR
                  MOGADISHU           2.0N  45.5E    1602Z 11 APR
                  KAAMBOONI           1.5S  41.9E    1629Z 11 APR
 MADAGASCAR       ANTSIRANANA        12.1S  49.5E    1548Z 11 APR
                  TOAMASINA          17.8S  49.6E    1601Z 11 APR
                  MANAKARA           22.2S  48.2E    1616Z 11 APR
                  MAHAJANGA          15.4S  46.2E    1652Z 11 APR
                  CAP_STE_MARIE      25.8S  45.2E    1716Z 11 APR
                  TOLIARA            23.4S  43.6E    1741Z 11 APR
 IRAN             GAVATER            25.0N  61.3E    1552Z 11 APR
 UAE              FUJAIRAH           25.1N  56.4E    1630Z 11 APR
 YEMEN            AL_MUKALLA         14.5N  49.2E    1637Z 11 APR
                  ADEN               13.0N  45.2E    1722Z 11 APR
 COMORES          MORONI             11.6S  43.3E    1649Z 11 APR
 MOZAMBIQUE       CABO_DELGADO       10.7S  40.7E    1706Z 11 APR
                  ANGOCHE            15.5S  40.6E    1738Z 11 APR
                  QUELIMANE          18.0S  37.1E    1905Z 11 APR
                  MAPUTO             25.9S  32.8E    1955Z 11 APR
                  BEIRA              19.9S  35.1E    2017Z 11 APR
 KENYA            MOMBASA             4.0S  39.7E    1706Z 11 APR
 TANZANIA         LINDI               9.8S  39.9E    1707Z 11 APR
                  DAR_ES_SALAAM       6.7S  39.4E    1710Z 11 APR
 CROZET ISLANDS   CROZET_ISLANDS     46.4S  51.8E    1734Z 11 APR
 BANGLADESH       CHITTAGONG         22.7N  91.2E    1735Z 11 APR
 KERGUELEN ISLAN  PORT_AUX_FRANCA    49.0S  69.1E    1816Z 11 APR
 SOUTH AFRICA     PRINCE_EDWARD_I    46.6S  37.6E    1907Z 11 APR
                  DURBAN             29.8S  31.2E    1910Z 11 APR
                  PORT_ELIZABETH     33.9S  25.8E    2011Z 11 APR
                  CAPE_TOWN          34.1S  18.0E    2111Z 11 APR
 SINGAPORE        SINGAPORE           1.2N 103.8E    2330Z 11 APR

Indian Ocean Tsunami Travel Time Map


A magnitude 9.1 Mw earthquake occurred off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, on December 26, 2004. It was the fourth largest earthquake in the world since 1900 and the largest since the 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska, earthquake. The earthquake generated a tsunami that caused more casualties than any other in recorded history. The tsunami was recorded nearly world-wide on tide gauges in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. In total, more than 227,8980 people were killed or missing and 1,126,900 were displaced by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 14 countries in South Asia and East Africa. Source:  NGDC

Related Links

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

Posted in Aceh earthquake, earthquake, earthquake energy, earthquake report, earthquake update, Earthquakes, earthquakes 2012, Indonesia earthquake, Indonesia tsunami, sumatra earthquake, sumatra tsunami | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Powerful M7.4 Earthquake Strikes N Sumatra

Posted by feww on May 9, 2010

BREAKING NEWS

M7.4 Earthquake Strikes Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

Indonesian authorities have issued a tsunami alert

Fire-Earth does not believe a widespread tsunami could occur as a result of this quake because the shock struck at a depth of about 60km.

However, local tsunamis are possible within a 100km to 120km radius of the quake’s epicenter.

The earthquake struck offshore, at a depth of about 60km, some 220km (135 miles) south southeast of the of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia, the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazard Program said.

The  earthquake was epicentered near 3.728°N, 96.081°E, about 47km (29 miles) north northeast of the 9.2Mw earthquake, which triggered the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami killing an estimated 228,000 people.

10-degree Map Centered at 5°N,95°E


Earthquake Location Map. Source: USGS. Map enhanced by Fire-Earth.

Earthquake Details

  • Magnitude: 7.4  [USGS/EHP estimate]
  • Date-Tim:
    • Sunday, May 09, 2010 at 05:59:44 UTC
    • Sunday, May 09, 2010 at 12:59:44 PM at epicenter
  • Location: 3.728°N, 96.081°E
  • Depth: 61.4 km (38.2 miles)
  • Region: NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
  • Distances:
    • 200 km (125 miles) SW of Lhokseumawe, Sumatra, Indonesia
    • 220 km (135 miles) SSE of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
    • 625 km (390 miles) W of KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia
    • 1620 km (1010 miles) NW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia
  • Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 6.3 km (3.9 miles); depth +/- 9.5 km (5.9 miles)
  • Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
  • Event ID:  us2010wbaq

At least 4 other significant earthquakes have struck Indonesia in the past 24 hours or so:

  1. Magnitude 6.1 – SUMBAWA REGION, INDONESIA – 2010 May 08 03:22:11 UTC
  2. Magnitude 5.0 – SUMBAWA REGION, INDONESIA – 2010 May 08 04:20:58 UTC
  3. Magnitude 5.6 – SULAWESI, INDONESIA – 2010 May 08 05:39:30 UTC
  4. Magnitude 5.5 – TIMOR SEA – 2010 May 09 02:02:38 UTC

Fire-Earth Forecast (Posted on May 6, 2010)

Fire-Earth Forecasts large scale volcanic activity in and around Sumatra Region in 2010 and beyond.

Related Links:

Indonesia Earthquake Information (USGS)

Historic Information

Institutions

Maps

Notable Earthquakes

Recent Earthquakes

Tectonic Information

–

Serial No 1,701. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).


Posted in Aceh earthquake, earthquake forecast, Earthquake Hazard, Earthquake news | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Powerful Earthquake Strikes N. Sumatra, Indonesia

Posted by feww on April 6, 2010

Serial No  1,542. If any posts are blocked in your country, please drop us a line.

Powerful earthquake measuring up to 7.9Mw strikes northern Sumatra, Indonesia

The quake struck at a depth of about 46km (28.6 miles) on April 06, 2010 at 22:15:02UTC about 205 km (125 miles) WNW of Sibolga, Sumatra, Indonesia. The epicenter was located at 2.236°N, 97.046°E.

The quake struck about 160km southeast of the magnitude 9.1 quake which triggered the destructive Boxing Day tsunami in 2004.

The epicenter was also about 34km NNW of the a magnitude 8.6 shock which occurred on March 28, 2005.

A magnitude 7.6 quake in West Sumatra in September 2009 killed 1,000 people, official records showed.

Tsunami Evaluation

The following bulletin was issued by the PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS a short time ago:

SEA LEVEL READINGS INDICATE A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED. IT MAY HAVE BEEN DESTRUCTIVE ALONG COASTS NEAR THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER. FOR THOSE AREAS – WHEN DAMAGING WAVES HAVE NOT OCCURRED FOR AT LEAST TWO HOURS THEN LOCAL AUTHORITIES CAN ASSUME THE THREAT IS PASSED. DANGER TO BOATS AND COASTAL STRUCTURES CAN CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS DUE TO RAPID CURRENTS.  AS LOCAL CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE A WIDE VARIATION IN TSUNAMI WAVE ACTION THE ALL CLEAR DETERMINATION
MUST BE MADE BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES.

NO TSUNAMI THREAT EXISTS FOR OTHER COASTAL AREAS IN THE INDIAN OCEAN ALTHOUGH SOME OTHER AREAS MAY EXPERIENCE SMALL SEA LEVEL CHANGES AND STRONG OR UNUSUAL COASTAL CURRENTS.

ESTIMATED INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES AT FORECAST POINTS WITHIN THE WARNING AND WATCH AREAS ARE GIVEN BELOW. ACTUAL ARRIVAL TIMES MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE LARGEST. A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE TIME BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.

LOCATION         FORECAST POINT     COORDINATES     ARRIVAL TIME
———————————————————————————————————
INDONESIA        SIMEULUE 2.5N  96.0E            22:46UTC 06 APR
+++++++++++BELAWAN 3.8N  98.8E            02:33UTC 07 APR

ADDITIONAL BULLETINS WILL BE ISSUED BY THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI  WARNING CENTER FOR THIS EVENT AS MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.

THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY MAY ISSUE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THIS EVENT. IN THE CASE OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION…THE MORE CONSERVATIVE  INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED FOR SAFETY.

There was no report of damage or casualties, as of posting.  However, a major power blackout on Simeulue Island, west of Aceh province, Indonesia, has been reported.

Updates will posted in the comments section of this post.

Earthquake Details:

  • Magnitude [USGS Estimate] 7.8
  • Date-Time:
    • Tuesday, April 06, 2010 at 22:15:02 UTC
    • Wednesday, April 07, 2010 at 05:15:02 AM at epicenter
  • Location: 2.236°N, 97.046°E
  • Depth: 46 km (28.6 miles)
  • Region: NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
  • Distances:
    • 205 km (125 miles) WNW of Sibolga, Sumatra, Indonesia
    • 230 km (145 miles) SW of Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia
    • 525 km (325 miles) W of KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia
    • 1425 km (880 miles) NW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia
  • Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 7.4 km (4.6 miles); depth +/- 11.6 km (7.2 miles)
  • Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
  • Event ID: us2010utc5

Seismotectonics of the Indonesian Region

Tectonics Plates The Indonesian region is one of the most seismically active zones of the earth; at the same time it has a leading position from the point of view of active and potentially active volcanoes. It is a typical island-arc structure with its characteristic physiographic features, such as a deep oceanic trench, a geanticline belt, a volcanic inner arc and a marginal basin.

In most subduction zones, motion of the subducted plate is nearly perpendicular to the trench axis. In some cases, for example Sumatra, where the motion is oblique to the axis, a strike-slip fault zone is seen, and is lying parallel to the volcanic chain.

In the subduction zone southwest of Sumatra, the Sunda trench axis strikes approximately N 37°W. The Indian Ocean crust is moving in an azimuth of approximately N 23°E relative to Southeast Asia, giving an angle of obliquity of 60°. Eastern Indonesia, forming the southeastern extremity of the Southeast Asian lithospheric plate, crushed between the northward-moving Indo-Australian and the westward-moving Pacific plates, is certainly the most complex active tectonic zone on earth. The rate of subduction is some centimeters per year; for example, it is 6.0 cm per year in the West Java Trench at 0°S 97°E (azimuth 23°); 4.9 cm per year in the East Java Trench at 12°S 120°E (azimuth 19°); and 10.7 cm per year in New Guinea at 3°S 142°E (azimuth 75°).

Frequent volcanic eruptions and frequent earthquake shocks testify to the active tectonic processes which are currently in progress in response to the continued movement of these major plates. The distribution of small ocean basins, continental fragments, remnants of ancient magmatic arcs and numerous subduction complexes which make up the Indonesian region indicate that the past history of the region was equally tectonically active.

Abridged from Southeast Asia Association of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering, Series on Seismology, Volume V – Indonesia, June 1985. (Source: USGS/EHP)

Maps

Related Links:

Historic Earthquakes in Indonesia


Posted in earthquake, Indonesia, KUALA LUMPUR, Medan, Seismic Hazard | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Earthquakes: Human Enhanced Disasters – UPDATE 3 Oct 2009

Posted by feww on October 3, 2009

Previous Updates:

As of Saturday, October 3, virtually no help has reached rural areas.

Up to 4,000 people (figure provided by UN officials) are feared trapped under hundreds of thousands of tons of rubble after a magnitude 7.9 quake destroyed more than 25,000 houses and buildings across  seven districts on a 100-km stretch along  the western coast of Sumatra island, Indonesia on September 30, 2009.

“We estimate there are still eight people trapped alive under Ambacang Hotel. We are still trying hard to evacuate them,” a rescuer  told reporters, in Padang.

Indonesia Earthquake
Indonesians look at bodies from under a cloth barrier after they were pulled from the rubble of buildings, at a hospital in the Sumatran Island city of Pedang, Indonesia, Friday, Oct. 2, 2009. Medical teams, search dogs, backhoes and emergency supplies were flown into the devastated western coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island Friday to bolster frantic rescue attempts for thousands buried by a powerful earthquake. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer). Image may be subject to copyright.

Indonesia Earthquake
An Indonesian man climbs down from a house that collapsed on top of a car in Wednesday’s earthquake ,in Padang, Indonesia, Friday, Oct. 2, 2009. Medical teams, search dogs, backhoes and emergency supplies were flown into the devastated western coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island Friday to bolster frantic rescue attempts for thousands buried by a powerful earthquake. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer). Image may be subject to copyright.

Situation in the Disaster Areas:

  • Power outages are reported in most districts, phone lines are down.
  • Water and food are in very short supply.
  • Villagers  are digging out the dead with bare hands.
  • Cost of recovery operation is estimated at least $400 million, according to Indonesia’s Vice President.
  • Rural areas are cut off by massive landslides, which have reportedly blocked roads and destroyed a number of villages, killing about 300 people.
  • There are no structures standing in the district of Pariaman, a hilly community of about 370,000 about 80 km north of Padang, an AP journalist has reported.

Related Links:

Posted in largest earthquakes, Pacific Ring of Fire, Pariaman District, Powerful earthquakes, Seismic Hazard | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Disaster Update: Indonesia Quake

Posted by feww on October 1, 2009

Indonesia Quake, Typhoon Ketsana and Samoa Tsunami

The death toll from the powerful earthquake in southern Sumatra, Indonesia has reached about 200, but is likely to rise sharply.

sumatra quake
Students walk out from a collapsed building after an earthquake hit Padang, on Indonesia’s Sumatra island September 30, 2009. REUTERS/Muhammad Fitrah/Singgalang Newspaper

Let’s be clear about this. The quake that hit Padang, Sumatra, was much stronger than reported. It was at least a magnitude 7.8, about 3 times stronger than reported.

Some high-rise buildings in Singapore, about 450 km northeast of the epicenter felt the tremors, which also shook some office buildings in  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Indonesia’s Vice President Jusuf Kalla confirmed late last night that in Jakarta, that the death toll would rise because there was substantial damage in the area with many buildings  collapsed.

Based on the information received and experience from the previous events, FEWW Moderators believe that the death toll might be as high as 2 – 3,000, with many more number of injuries.

“The big buildings are down. The concrete buildings are all down, the hospitals, the main markets, down and burned. A lot of people died in there. A lot of places are burning,” Australian businesswoman  in Padang told Australian radio.

“Most of the damage is in the town center in the big buildings. The little houses, the people’s houses, there are a few damaged, but nothing dramatic. It’s not all a rubble heap in terms of smaller buildings.”

“The quake was followed by a very heavy rain. Many houses and some building are flattened in my area. But I cannot yet verify too much. We will try to compile the data and distribute aid once the rain subsides,” the district mayor of Pariaman District, one of the worst hit areas told reporters.

“A number of hotels in Padang have been destroyed,” Rahmat Triyono, an  employee of the Indonesian geophysics and meteorology agency, told AFP.

“Up to now we haven’t been able to reach Padang, communications have been cut,” he added.

An eye-witness reportedly told Reuters that there was “extreme panic” in the city, with bridges collapsing,  and water from broken pipes causing flooding.

Related Links:

Posted in extreme panic, Indonesia quake, pandang quake, Pariaman District, sumatra earthquake | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Powerful Earthquake Strikes Southern Sumatra, Indonesia

Posted by feww on September 30, 2009

More Megaquakes May Strike PRF Anytime

Magnitude 7.9 earthquake strikes southern Sumatra, Indonesia

Magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck southern Sumatra, Indonesia, 50 km (30 miles) WNW of Padang, at a depth  of about 85 km on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 10:16 UTC, USGS/EHP reported.

Only hours ago, having briefly analyzed details of the Samoan earthquake, FEWW had foretasted that up to 3 more powerful quakes could strike the Pacific Ring of Fire in 2009.

Four weeks ago a deadly earthquake measuring  7.3 to 7.6 Mw struck off the coast of Java, Indonesia, killing more than 80 people and injuring at least another 1,250.

Tsunami Warning

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (NOAA) has issued a tsunami warning based on the size and location of the earthquake for countries bordering Indian Ocean: Indonesia, India, Thailand and Malaysia.

Damage Report

“People are panicking. They are running out of the buildings… There are many collapsed buildings,” an eye-witness in Padang told a local TV station.

“Hundreds of houses have been damaged along the road. There are some fires, bridges are cut and there is extreme panic here maybe because water pipes are broken and there is flooding in the streets,” another witness told Reuters.

“Hundreds of houses have been damaged along the road,” another eye-witness in Padang said.

“There are some fires, bridges are cut and there is extreme panic here maybe because water pipes are broken and there is flooding in the streets.”

Padang has a population of just under 1,000,000 people. There were no reports of casualties as of posting; however, given that so many buildings have collapsed, it’s more than likely that many people would have been killed or injured.

According to a local report, power and phone lines are down in Pandang and several other parts of Indonesia.

The mainshock was followed by a strong aftershock measuring 6.0  GFZ Potsdam/ Earthquake Bulletin reported. More strong aftershocks are highly probable.

10-degree Map Centered at 0°N,100°E

Southern Sumatara - 30 September 2009
Earthquake Location Map. Source USGS/EHP

GFZ Potsdam – Earthquake Bulletin
Region:     Southern Sumatra, Indonesia
Time:     2009-09-30 10:16:10.4 UTC
Magnitude:     7.8
Epicenter:     99.87°E   0.80°S
Depth:     84 km
Status:     manually revised

Earthquake Details (according to USGS)

  • Magnitude: 7.9
  • Date-Time:
    • Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 10:16:10 UTC
    • Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 05:16:10 PM at epicenter
  • Location: 0.797°S, 99.925°E
  • Depth: 85 km (52.8 miles)
  • Region: SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
    Distances:

    • 50 km (30 miles) WNW of Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia
    • 225 km (140 miles) SW of Pekanbaru, Sumatra, Indonesia
    • 475 km (295 miles) SSW of KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia
    • 960 km (600 miles) NW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia
  • Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 10.6 km (6.6 miles); depth +/- 16.1 km (10.0 miles)
    Parameters:  NST= 44, Nph= 44, Dmin=523.2 km, Rmss=1.44 sec, Gp= 47°,   M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=7
  • Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
  • Event ID: us2009mebz

Related Links:

Posted in Indian Ocean tsunami, Indonesia tsunami, large earthquakes, megaquakes, sumatra tsunami | Tagged: , , , , , , | 5 Comments »