Breaking News: Earth Quake! New Tsunami?

[thohts]

" Japan's Meteorological Agency measured the quake at magnitude 8.5."

from Yahoo News

[george]

Major Earthquake Strikes Off Indonesia

USGS: Earthquake Registered 8.2 On Richter Scale

Mar 28, 2005 12:14 pm US/Eastern

BANGKOK, Thailand (CBS) A large earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Sumatra Island in the Andaman Sea late Monday, and the U.S. Geological Survey said it was a major quake measuring a magnitude of 8.2.

Thai officials issued a warning of a possible tsunami, three months after a tsunami devastated parts of Indonesia and other countries in the region. The quake occurred at 11:09 p.m. local at a depth of nearly 19 miles, the USGS in Golden, Colo., said.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency measured the quake at magnitude 8.5.

A bulletin by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says the earthquake "has the potential to generate a widely destructive tsunami in the ocean or seas near the earthquake."

The magnitude-9 undersea earthquake on December 26, 2004, the world’s biggest in 40 years, and the huge tsunami it sent charging across the Indian Ocean at the speed of a passenger jet killed more than 174,000 people and left another 106,000 missing.

More than 1.5 million people were left homeless in 11 countries.

More information to follow shortly...

--CBS 2005-03-29

[Shola]

OMG!!

MY mate just called me to ask if I felt the earthquake, I didn't as I'm at ground level but shes on the 30th floor of a condo and she says it was swaying for over a minute.

Just put CNN on and saw the 8.2 quake news and Tusnami warning for Thailand.

If it puts anyone's mind at ease it will take at least 5 hours to reach the coasts here and apparently already started evacuating.

Here we are again ay?

[chingy_]

anybody staying next to the beach in phuket, pack up and head to the hill until morning, don't want any member getting hurt cause they are at their computer.

[thohts]

The Wikipedia mentions that magnitude 9+ quakes happen once every 20 years or so, while magniture 8-9 quakes happen about once per year.

2 big quakes within about 3 months is completely abnormal. Granted, it's on the same fault line, but nonetheless...

The USGS site says that there were only 9 other earthquakes of 8.5 of greater on its record (going back a couple of hundred years).

This quake and the one from 3 months ago are the 11th and 4th largest quakes in recorded history.

Wow.

Edited March 28, 2005 by thohts

[britmaveric]

The warning, which was carried on national television, cautioned people in the six provinces to be careful and vigilant, but did not order evacuations.

Here we go again....

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/03/2...uake/index.html

Edited March 28, 2005 by britmaveric

[britmaveric]

[Wolfie]

"Even if we do see tsunami activity it won't be as widespread" as December's quake. - Reuters"

http://www.sabcnews.com/world/asia1pacific...,100863,00.html

[Shola]

The Wikipedia mentions that magnitude 9+ quakes happen once every 20 years or so, while magniture 8-9 quakes happen about once per year.

2 big quakes within about 3 months is completely abnormal. Granted, it's on the same fault line, but nonetheless...

The USGS site says that there were only 9 other earthquakes of 8.5 of greater on its record (going back a couple of hundred years).

This quake and the one from 3 months ago are the 11th and 4th largest quakes in recorded history.

Wow.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would think that this is an aftershock of the original 9.3 back in December. A big one granted but pretty sure it's an aftershock and not a whole separate new earthquake

[Thomas_Merton]

LONDON (Reuters) - An 8.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra Monday close to where a quake triggered a tsunami that left nearly 300,000 people dead or missing, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

A USGS spokeswoman told Reuters the quake struck 125 miles west northwest of Sibolga, Sumatra or 880 miles northwest of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta at 1609 GMT, close to where the 9.0 magnitude quake struck in December.

A spokesman for the U.S. Geological Survey told CNN that the earthquake could cause tsunamis.

"Certainly evacuations should be occurring. I hope they are," spokesman Don Blakeman said, saying of the earthquake that "it could also cause some local tsunami activity."

"Even if we do see tsunami activity it won't be as widespread" as December's quake.

Blakeman said Monday's quake was considered a "great earthquake" because it is larger than a magnitude 8. He said it was an aftershock from December's temblor but is a "very serious earthquake in its own right."

There are no reports of damage yet.

[lopburi3]

The warning, which was carried on national television, cautioned people in the six provinces to be careful and vigilant, but did not order evacuations.

Here we go again....

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/03/2...uake/index.html

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

From ITV reports Phuket has ordered evacuation and Thai are reported to be scared and to be responding but many tourists are "not afraid" at this time so not sure how effective it will be.

[glitter1021]

Been hitting CNN and other news website for the last hour....

My thoughts and prayers are with you all there! Praying that everyone gets to a safe place and that everyone remains safe.

Thinking about you all!

Cindy

[Nam Kao]

This will really kill the tourism down there

[mr_lob]

its all going mad again here in ao nang. fingers crossed

[Wolfie]

im getting sms messages, apparently the roads are crazy...

mass panic in phuket

[ProfessorFart]

The BBC are saying that authorities are evacuating people from the coastal areas.

This never happened last time. I just hope that in the more remote regions people get the warnings in time should a Tsunami occur.

[chuchok]

An Expert from a Tsunami station just said that it was not the magnitude, but the type of earthquake that will cause a large tsunami.ie:the way the earth moves etc.

[britmaveric]

The Wikipedia mentions that magnitude 9+ quakes happen once every 20 years or so, while magniture 8-9 quakes happen about once per year.

2 big quakes within about 3 months is completely abnormal. Granted, it's on the same fault line, but nonetheless...

The USGS site says that there were only 9 other earthquakes of 8.5 of greater on its record (going back a couple of hundred years).

This quake and the one from 3 months ago are the 11th and 4th largest quakes in recorded history.

Wow.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would think that this is an aftershock of the original 9.3 back in December. A big one granted but pretty sure it's an aftershock and not a whole separate new earthquake

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Aftershocks go down in magnitude not up - I have to think this is a new quake. If you recall there has been smaller after shocks since Boxing day. (definitely smaller than 8.5)

[Joey Boy]

to the hills!!

[PCN]

I just spoke with a friend of mine at Patong Beach. He told me that a mass evacuation of Phuket is now underway.

[Ketje]

This will really kill the tourism down there

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is that your main concern ???

Hope it won't kill people as it did 3 month ago

[Soi33]

Better safe than sorry. All news sources here in the U.S. are all over this story.

Everyone stay safe!

[lopburi3]

Current reports from Aceh are that water has not receded so there may not be a Tsunami.

[britmaveric]

Mass panic in Phuket from what I gather, but least no one wants to be caught with their pants down with this quake.

[lanny]

I hope this doesn't prove to be another Boxing Day! From the maps I've seen (and there are several on the net, none of which show the same location) I don't think Phuket has too much to worry about.

This earthquake is a long way south of the 12/26 jolt. Then, there was a clear, unobstructed path for the tsunami from the epicenter to the Phuket area. This time, Sumatra blocks the straight path. Tsunamis can turn around land masses (this happened in Hawaii in 1946) but they usually lose most of their force in the process.

Sumatra, Sri Lanka, and the other areas hit in December could have more problems, though.

It's now been over an hour, so we should know in a couple of hours if Phuket will have a problem.

[gregswim]

I see there are 6 of us in this topic --- any comments re quake?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

CNN -- Off the west coast of Sumatra - tsunami warnings issued. NO reports yet of damage or deaths. Occurred at 11:09 PM - Indonesian time. Possible threat to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. No tsumanis reported yet.

[ProfessorFart]

Sky News are reporting that this IS an aftershock.

They are also saying that the high risk areas are to the south of the epicentre.

[Wolfie]

CNN is now saying the force of the wave is headed south.

Last time the force was north.

Live on TV

[johnrh]

Mass panic in Phuket from what I gather, but least no one wants to be caught with their pants down with this quake.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unlike last time, this was strongly felt in Songkhla and Hatyai. Check with CNN and BBC world. Those on Andaman side of Thailand, don't take chances, get to a safe place.

[Darknight]

From Cnn

CNN) -- Officials in Thailand and Sri Lanka report that residents are evacuating coastal regions in the Indian Ocean after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of at least 8.2 struck off the coast of Indonesia Monday.

In Thailand, thousands of people in the six provinces affected by the December 26 tsunami were moving to higher ground or 2 km (1.25 miles) inland, the governor of Phang Nga province said.

Sri Lanka also issued a warning that the earthquake may spawn a tsunami that would reach Sri Lanka's shores by about 3 a.m. Tuesday (4 p.m. ET Monday) and urged those living in low lying areas to move to higher ground.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recommended residents within 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) of the epicenter to evacuate coastal regions. The quake was centered on the same fault line where a December 26 earthquake launched a tsunami that killed at least 175,000 people.