Huge Shake Here In Kata

[LivinginKata]

What can we expect?

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Too early to say. keep monitoring ...

[longstebe]

I'll keep checking. Thanks.

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[seaeagle]

Keep listening for sirens and loud-hailers.

Edited April 16, 2012 by seaeagle

[Somtamnication]

It is worrisome how many earthquakes off Sumatra over the past 3 days!

[BTM]

The house shook in Nai Yang.

[pagallim]

I am monitoring the USGS map http://earthquake.us...arthquakes/map/

Far too early for official notice.

Now reported by USGS

http://earthquake.us...00094q0#summary

It appears to be in the same area as the previous quake last week, however if I'm reading the current data correctly, it has a strength of 5.3 as opposed to the previous 8.6 or so. Still, in spite of a supposed lesser (Richter scale) strength, it certainly seemed to be more pronounced this time.

[JetsetBkk]

It is worrisome how many earthquakes off Sumatra over the past 3 days!

I think the opposite - the more small ones there are, the less likely it is that a big one will happen.

[Guest]

How is the magnitude calculated? Isn't it the released energy on logarithmic scale?

Then the released energy should be somewhat linear to the amplitude * time. Last quake was with lesser amplitude and way longer than this one, which was like a one strong punch.

So could this cause an tsunami, even if it was only M5.x?

[JetsetBkk]

How is the magnitude calculated? Isn't it the released energy on logarithmic scale?

Then the released energy should be somewhat linear to the amplitude * time. Last quake was with lesser amplitude and way longer than this one, which was like a one strong punch.

So could this cause an tsunami, even if it was only M5.x?

Depends if it was a vertical or horizontal slip. The big one in 2004 was vertical.

[lavender19]

Lots of people started to turn up on the hill in Rawai now.Have not heard any warnings though

[jts-khorat]

What can we expect?

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By a quake with this little strength, it is very unlikely that anything will be noticeable further on Phuket.

Fleeing even before a tsunami warning is out is total nonsense, even a very fast wave will take considerable time (read > 2 hours).

Better pack a little bag with water bottles and a few snacks, and think where the next *good* hill is, with a sharp incline, and where it is fairly comfortable to wait out a situation if one arises. Monitor the right websites (links here aplenty), totally forget any Thai news source.

Hint: from Patong, it is *not* the road up to Kathu where you sit beside the road in total traffic mayhem...

Better first thinking before acting in any case...

[Tywais]

How is the magnitude calculated? Isn't it the released energy on logarithmic scale?

Then the released energy should be somewhat linear to the amplitude * time. Last quake was with lesser amplitude and way longer than this one, which was like a one strong punch.

So could this cause an tsunami, even if it was only M5.x?

It's a log scale with one order of magnitude between each unit. A 9.0 will be 10x more energy then a 8.0.

[jts-khorat]

Better first thinking before acting in any case...

Another hint: if you have a smart phone with internet access, top up the battery now.

You do not want to sit on a hill without any reliable news, as some tourists reportedly did, with nobody telling them that there was no need to sit through half the night and in rain, as everything was long passed and over.

[LivinginKata]

How is the magnitude calculated? Isn't it the released energy on logarithmic scale?

Then the released energy should be somewhat linear to the amplitude * time. Last quake was with lesser amplitude and way longer than this one, which was like a one strong punch.

So could this cause an tsunami, even if it was only M5.x?

It's a log scale with one order of magnitude between each unit. A 9.0 will be 10x more energy then a 8.0.

Yes Tywais, you are correct. But the actual shock felt here was quite excessive. I am not surprised people are alarmed. I was very alarmed. Felt like a truck hitting our building.

[dhrobertson]

Good jolt in Kamala.

Shops already closed.

Lond announcement in Thai language only.

The peasants are heading for the hills.

Massive over reaction.

I will await the "Tsunami" with a bottle of The Famous Grouse......

[JetsetBkk]

<snip> Felt like a truck hitting our building.

My thoughts exactly - I even looked outside to see if there'd been an accident, especially as the jolt was accompanied by an audible bang.

[jts-khorat]

Yes Tywais, you are correct. But the actual shock felt here was quite excessive. I am not surprised people are alarmed. I was very alarmed. Felt like a truck hitting our building.

Also, there was quite a loud rumbling noise, I first tohught that must have been an explosion. Also the rattling of the house was nothing like the vibrations of the last quake.

But so far, no warning out, and it is now a good 45 minutes after the event.

Ergo: nothing will happen further.

[LivinginKata]

<snip> Felt like a truck hitting our building.

My thoughts exactly - I even looked outside to see if there'd been an accident, especially as the jolt was accompanied by an audible bang.

Exactly. I actually went out front to see if a vehicle had hit our building. I was that bad.

[jts-khorat]

For those with scientific interest: article why the earthquake on April 11 was so large, even though not coming from a subduction zone, why there was only a very small tsunami afterwards, and why it is unlikely that any aftershock from this quake will create a tsunami at all.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21689-why-was-the-sumatra-quake-so-large.html

[bunta71]

Heroines Monument area...this was a quick jolt but accompanied by an explosive sound. I've been in several large earthquakes through the years and this was by far the strangest to me in the abrupt yet powerful short jolt and sound...

[pagallim]

I will await the "Tsunami" with a bottle of The Famous Grouse......

Admirable choice, though on this occasion, a bottle of Bell's with it's slogan of 'Afore ye go' might be more appropriate.......

[JetsetBkk]

For those with scientific interest: article why the earthquake on April 11 was so large, even though not coming from a subduction zone, why there was only a very small tsunami afterwards, and why it is unlikely that any aftershock from this quake will create a tsunami at all.

http://www.newscient...e-so-large.html

Interesting article and strangely comforting...

Edited April 16, 2012 by JetsetBkk

[Somtamnication]

Twais, A difference in energy between 9.0 and 8.0 is one thousand times. One point is 100 times the energy.

[jts-khorat]

For those with scientific interest: article why the earthquake on April 11 was so large, even though not coming from a subduction zone, why there was only a very small tsunami afterwards, and why it is unlikely that any aftershock from this quake will create a tsunami at all.

http://www.newscient...e-so-large.html

Interesting article and strangely comforting...

Even though Twitter tells of big crowds on the mountain from Patong and in front of Jungceylon, in the restaurant where my girlfriend works, it is already business as usual again, with customers ordering food.

Not all people here are blindly panic-stricken... an hour after a smallish aftershock, no wave warning... everybody can calm down.

[Guest]

Twais, A difference in energy between 9.0 and 8.0 is one thousand times. One point is 100 times the energy.

Not quite. Here is an calculator if you wish to try.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/calculator.php

[paulfromphuket]

Good jolt in Kamala.

Shops already closed.

Lond announcement in Thai language only.

The peasants are heading for the hills.

Massive over reaction.

I will await the "Tsunami" with a bottle of The Famous Grouse......

Shall see one in the pub then!

[george]

UPDATE:

5:50pm Phuket Governor has announced that it is safe and people can return to their homes - TR @SpringNews_TV

[JetsetBkk]

Twais, A difference in energy between 9.0 and 8.0 is one thousand times. One point is 100 times the energy.

You may find this "Earthquake Energy Difference" calculator informative:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/how_much_bigger.php

[Guest]

Even though Twitter tells of big crowds on the mountain from Patong and in front of Jungceylon, in the restaurant where my girlfriend works, it is already business as usual again, with customers ordering food.

Not all people here are blindly panic-stricken... an hour after a smallish aftershock, no wave warning... everybody can calm down.

Well, try to be a bit more polite. If a person have experienced the 2004 quake and aftermath, the panic mode is slightly more ready to come in game.

Also when people felt the last weeks quake, which was M8.6 and today's quake, which FELT way bigger than the last weeks quake.. they have all the rights to be alerted.

Only after the real data reaches to the people, they can relax.

[cloudhopper]

Twais, A difference in energy between 9.0 and 8.0 is one thousand times. One point is 100 times the energy.

No dude, the difference in energy is square root of 1000 or about 31 times. The difference in amplitude - the peak to peak - is 10.