Earthquake Journal Entry
Quake Risk Higher Since Tsunami (March 25, 2005)
The star is the epicenter of the December 26 earthquake near Sumatra. The greatest risks of a new quake are along the Sumatra Fault between the Sunda and Burma plates and along the Sunda Trench. USGS.
The risk of earthquakes in Sumatra is higher since the massive 9.0 quake and tsunami of December 26th, 2004, according to a new study by seismologists.
The city of Banda Aceh, which was mostly destroyed by the tsunami, is the place at greatest risk. But all people living along Sumatra's heavily populated southern coast face a greater earthquake danger as well.
Any new earthquakes or tsunamis in the region are not likely to be as destructive as the one in December. But they could cause widespread damages and heavy loss of life. The researchers say there's still an urgent need to put a tsunami warning system in place in the region as soon as possible.
They couldn't predict when the next big one would hit. But they pointed out that other big quakes in Turkey and Japan were followed by later quakes striking on nearby faults within a few months or years.
December's quake loosened two massive rock walls pressing together along the Sumatra Fault near Banda Aceh on Sumatra. This increases the chance one side will suddenly lurch past the other and trigger a violent sideways jolt. In addition, the northern section of the fault has not had a big quake in over a century. It's likely that pressure is steadily building up along it.
The other danger zone is the Sunda Trench that runs southeast from the epicenter of the December quake. A quake along the trench would trigger deadly tsunamis as it did in 1833 and 1861. Computer models show the tsunamis would hammer Sumatra's southern coast.
