Tagged with earthquake epicenter
JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) — A powerful earthquake struck off the west coast of Northern Sumatra in Indonesia on Sunday, seismologists said. Tsunami warnings were briefly issued but were later cancelled when sea level readings indicated no tsunami waves had been generated.
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake at 12.59 p.m. local time was centered about 220 kilometers (135 miles) south-southeast from Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of Aceh. It struck about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG), Indonesia’s seismological agency.
The U.S. Geological Survey initially measured the strength of the earthquake at 7.4 on the Richter scale, but later revised it down to 7.2.
The worst-hit area appeared to be the city of Meulaboh, which is about 60 kilometers (37.2 miles) from the earthquake epicenter. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that some 353,000 people were exposed to ‘severe’ shaking which could result in ‘heavy’ damage to vulnerable structures.
Meulaboh, the capital of West Aceh Regency, was largely destroyed on December 26, 2004 when a 9.1-magnitude earthquake sent massive tsunami waves crashing into the city, killing tens of thousands of people there.
“Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist,” the U.S. Geological Survey said, saying that recent earthquakes in the area have caused tsunamis and landslides.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center – which briefly issued a tsunami watch for Indonesia but later canceled it – said no tsunami had been generated. “Sea level readings indicate that a significant tsunami was not generated,” the agency said in an information bulletin. “Therefore the tsunami watch issued by this center is now cancelled.”
The BMKG briefly issued a tsunami warning for nearby coastlines, but later cancelled it too when there was no evidence of tsunami activity.
The European Commission Joint Research Centre further said the region has a high vulnerability to natural disasters, meaning the earthquake could potentially have a high humanitarian impact.
Indonesia is on the so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
There was no immediate word on damage or casualties from the earthquake.
On Wednesday, a strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck about 135 kilometers (85 miles) west-southwest of Bengkulu in Sumatra, causing no damage or casualties.
(Copyright 2010 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without explicit prior permission from BNO News B.V. Contact sales@bnonews.com for more information about subscriptions.)
JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) — A powerful earthquake struck off the west coast of Northern Sumatra in Indonesia on Sunday, seismologists said. Tsunami warnings were briefly issued but were later cancelled when sea level readings indicated no tsunami waves had been generated.
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake at 12.59 p.m. local time was centered about 220 kilometers (135 miles) south-southeast from Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of Aceh. It struck about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG), Indonesia’s seismological agency.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the strength of the earthquake at 7.4 on the Richter scale.
The worst-hit area appeared to be the city of Meulaboh, which is about 60 kilometers (37.2 miles) from the earthquake epicenter. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that some 353,000 people were exposed to ‘severe’ shaking which could result in ‘heavy’ damage to vulnerable structures.
Meulaboh, the capital of West Aceh Regency, was largely destroyed on December 26, 2004 when a 9.1-magnitude earthquake sent massive tsunami waves crashing into the city, killing tens of thousands of people there.
“Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist,” the U.S. Geological Survey said, saying that recent earthquakes in the area have caused tsunamis and landslides.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center – which briefly issued a tsunami watch for Indonesia but later canceled it – said no tsunami had been generated. “Sea level readings indicate that a significant tsunami was not generated,” the agency said in an information bulletin. “Therefore the tsunami watch issued by this center is now cancelled.”
The BMKG briefly issued a tsunami warning for nearby coastlines, but later cancelled it too when there was no evidence of tsunami activity.
The European Commission Joint Research Centre further said the region has a high vulnerability to natural disasters, meaning the earthquake could potentially have a high humanitarian impact.
Indonesia is on the so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
There was no immediate word on damage or casualties from the earthquake.
On Wednesday, a strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck about 135 kilometers (85 miles) west-southwest of Bengkulu in Sumatra, causing no damage or casualties.
(Copyright 2010 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without explicit prior permission from BNO News B.V. Contact sales@bnonews.com for more information about subscriptions.)
(Eds: Adds cancellation of Indonesian tsunami warning.)
JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) — A powerful earthquake struck off the west coast of Northern Sumatra in Indonesia on Sunday, seismologists said. Tsunami warnings were briefly issued but were later cancelled when sea level readings indicated no tsunami waves had been generated.
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake at 12.59 p.m. local time was centered about 220 kilometers (135 miles) south-southeast from Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of Aceh. It struck about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG), Indonesia’s seismological agency.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the strength of the earthquake at 7.4 on the Richter scale.
The worst-hit area appeared to be the city of Meulaboh, which is about 60 kilometers (37.2 miles) from the earthquake epicenter. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that some 353,000 people were exposed to ‘severe’ shaking which could result in ‘heavy’ damage to vulnerable structures.
Meulaboh, the capital of West Aceh Regency, was largely destroyed on December 26, 2004 when a 9.1-magnitude earthquake sent massive tsunami waves crashing into the city, killing tens of thousands of people there.
“Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist,” the U.S. Geological Survey said, saying that recent earthquakes in the area have caused tsunamis and landslides.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center – which briefly issued a tsunami watch for Indonesia but later canceled it – said no tsunami had been generated. “Sea level readings indicate that a significant tsunami was not generated,” the agency said in an information bulletin. “Therefore the tsunami watch issued by this center is now cancelled.”
The BMKG briefly issued a tsunami warning for nearby coastlines, but later cancelled it too when there was no evidence of tsunami activity.
The European Commission Joint Research Centre further said the region has a high vulnerability to natural disasters, meaning the earthquake could potentially have a high humanitarian impact.
There was no immediate word on damage or casualties from the earthquake.
(Copyright 2010 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without explicit prior permission from BNO News B.V. Contact sales@bnonews.com for more information about subscriptions.)
JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) — A powerful earthquake struck off the west coast of Northern Sumatra in Indonesia on Sunday, seismologists said. A local tsunami warning remains in effect, but there are no signs of a significant tsunami.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake at 12.59 p.m. local time was centered about 220 kilometers (135 miles) south-southeast from Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of Aceh. It struck about 61.4 kilometers (38.2 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The worst-hit area appeared to be the city of Meulaboh, which is about 60 kilometers (37.2 miles) from the earthquake epicenter. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that some 353,000 people were exposed to ‘severe’ shaking which could result in ‘heavy’ damage to vulnerable structures.
Meulaboh, the capital of West Aceh Regency, was devastated on December 26, 2004 when a 9.1-magnitude earthquake sent massive tsunami waves into the city, killing tens of thousands of people.
“Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist,” the U.S. Geological Survey said, saying that recent earthquakes in the area have caused tsunamis and landslides.
The Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG), Indonesia’s seismological agency, immediately issued a tsunami warning for nearby coastlines. That warning remains in effect.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center – which briefly issued a tsunami watch for Indonesia but later canceled it – said no tsunami had been generated. “Sea level readings indicate that a significant tsunami was not generated,” the agency said in a bulletin. “Therefore the tsunami watch issued by this center is now cancelled.”
The European Commission Joint Research Centre further said the region has a high vulnerability to natural disasters, meaning the earthquake could potentially have a high humanitarian impact.
(Copyright 2010 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without explicit prior permission from BNO News B.V. Contact sales@bnonews.com for more information about subscriptions.)
JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) — A powerful earthquake struck off the west coast of Northern Sumatra in Indonesia on Sunday, seismologists said. A local tsunami warning is in effect.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake at 12.59 p.m. local time was centered about 220 kilometers (135 miles) south-southeast from Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of Aceh. It struck about 61.4 kilometers (38.2 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The worst-hit area appeared to be the city of Meulaboh, which is about 60 kilometers (37.2 miles) from the earthquake epicenter. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that some 353,000 people were exposed to ‘severe’ shaking which could result in ‘heavy’ damage to vulnerable structures.
Meulaboh, the capital of West Aceh Regency, was devastated on December 26, 2004 when a 9.1-magnitude earthquake sent massive tsunami waves into the city, killing tens of thousands of people.
“Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist,” the U.S. Geological Survey said, saying that recent earthquakes in the area have caused tsunamis and landslides.
The Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG), Indonesia’s seismological agency, immediately issued a tsunami warning for nearby coastlines.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center – which issued a tsunami watch for Indonesia – said there was no destructive widespread tsunami threat following the earthquake. “However, there is the possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a hundred kilometers from the earthquake epicenter,” it said.
The agency said areas further from the epicenter could experience small sea level changes and strong or unusual coastal currents.
If a tsunami was in fact generated, it would have reached the nearby coastlines between 635 and 643 GMT. The European Commission Joint Research Centre estimated that maximum tsunami wave height would have a height of 0.37 m.
The European Commission Joint Research Centre further said the region has a high vulnerability to natural disasters, meaning the earthquake could potentially have a high humanitarian impact.
(Copyright 2010 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without explicit prior permission from BNO News B.V. Contact sales@bnonews.com for more information about subscriptions.)
JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) — A powerful earthquake struck off the west coast of Northern Sumatra in Indonesia on Sunday, seismologists said. A local tsunami warning is in effect.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake at 12.59 p.m. local time was centered about 220 kilometers (135 miles) south-southeast from Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of Aceh. It struck about 61.4 kilometers (38.2 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG), Indonesia’s national seismological agency, immediately issued a tsunami warning for nearby coastlines.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no destructive widespread tsunami threat following the earthquake. “However, there is the possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a hundred kilometers from the earthquake epicenter,” it said.
The agency, which issued a tsunami watch for Indonesia, said areas further from the epicenter could experience small sea level changes and strong or unusual coastal currents.
(Copyright 2010 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without explicit prior permission from BNO News B.V. Contact sales@bnonews.com for more information about subscriptions.)
(Eds: Adds tsunami watch cancellation.)
JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) — A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s northern Sumatra on early Wednesday, seismologists said, creating a small tsunami that may have affected local coastlines.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake at 5.15 a.m. local time was centered about 200 kilometers (125 miles) west-northwest of Sibolga on Sumatra. It struck about 31 kilometers (19.3 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake.
The Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG), Indonesia’s seismological agency, said the earthquake had tsunami potential and immediately issued a tsunami warning. It was later cancelled.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a warning, but instead issued a – less severe – tsunami watch, which was also cancelled. “A destructive widespread tsunami threat does not exist based on historical and tsunami data,” a bulletin from the agency read, indicating other countries were not at risk. “However, there is the possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a hundred kilometers from the earthquake epicenter.”
The agency later confirmed a tsunami was generated. “Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated,” a bulletin read. It said the tsunami was not ‘significant’.
Tsunami wave activity of 14 cm (0.5 ft) was recorded off Teluk Dalam, a sub-district in North Sumatra. Fourteen centimeters does not indicate the height of the actual tsunami, as the wave was recorded off the coast. Tsunamis are known to grow as it approaches the coastline, making the actual tsunami height uncertain. It was not immediately clear if the tsunami caused any damage.
At least five moderate aftershocks shook the region after the first earthquake, the BMKG reported. Those had magnitudes of 5.1, 5.0, 5.2, 5.0 and 5.1.
The Kompas newspaper reported there were power outages in the affected area after the quake, but there was no immediate word on casualties.
According to a U.S. Geological Survey chart, about 33,000 people may have been exposed to ‘severe’ shaking which could result in ‘heavy’ damage to vulnerable structures. Some 457,000 others may have received ‘very strong’ shaking while nearly 1.5 million people may have experienced strong shaking.
A 9.0-magnitude earthquake on December 26, 2004 struck about 167 kilometers northwest of Wednesday’s earthquake. That earthquake and a resulting tsunami killed nearly 230,000 people.
(Copyright 2010 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without explicit prior permission from BNO News B.V. Contact sales@bnonews.com for more information about subscriptions.)
(Eds: Adds tsunami warning cancellation.)
JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) — A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s northern Sumatra on early Wednesday, seismologists said, creating a tsunami that may have affected local coastlines.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake at 5.15 a.m. local time was centered about 200 kilometers (125 miles) west-northwest of Sibolga on Sumatra. It struck about 31 kilometers (19.3 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake.
The Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG), Indonesia’s seismological agency, said the earthquake had tsunami potential and immediately issued a tsunami warning. It was later cancelled.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a warning, but instead issued a – less severe – tsunami watch, which remains in effect. “A destructive widespread tsunami threat does not exist based on historical and tsunami data,” a bulletin from the agency read, indicating other countries are not at risk. “However, there is the possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a hundred kilometers from the earthquake epicenter.”
The agency later confirmed a tsunami was generated. “Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated,” a bulletin read. “It may have been destructive along coasts near the epicenter.”
Tsunami wave activity of 14 cm (0.5 ft) was recorded off Teluk Dalam, a sub-district in North Sumatra. Fourteen centimeters does not indicate the height of the actual tsunami, as the wave was recorded off the coast. Tsunamis are known to grow as it approaches the coastline, making the actual tsunami height uncertain.
At least five moderate aftershocks shook the region after the first earthquake, the BMKG reported. Those had magnitudes of 5.1, 5.0, 5.2, 5.0 and 5.1.
The Kompas newspaper reported there were power outages in the affected area after the quake, but there was no immediate word on casualties.
According to a U.S. Geological Survey chart, about 33,000 people may have been exposed to ‘severe’ shaking which could result in ‘heavy’ damage to vulnerable structures. Some 457,000 others may have received ‘very strong’ shaking while nearly 1.5 million people may have experienced strong shaking.
A 9.0-magnitude earthquake on December 26, 2004 struck about 167 kilometers northwest of Wednesday’s earthquake. That earthquake and a resulting tsunami killed nearly 230,000 people.
(Copyright 2010 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without explicit prior permission from BNO News B.V. Contact sales@bnonews.com for more information about subscriptions.)
JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) — A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s northern Sumatra on early Wednesday, seismologists said, creating a tsunami that may have affected local coastlines.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake at 5.15 a.m. local time was centered about 200 kilometers (125 miles) west-northwest of Sibolga on Sumatra. It struck about 31 kilometers (19.3 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake.
The Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG), Indonesia’s seismological agency, said the earthquake had tsunami potential and immediately issued a tsunami warning.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a warning, but instead issued a – less severe – tsunami watch. “A destructive widespread tsunami threat does not exist based on historical and tsunami data,” a bulletin from the agency read, indicating other countries are not at risk. “However, there is the possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a hundred kilometers from the earthquake epicenter.”
The agency later confirmed a tsunami was generated. “Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated,” a bulletin read. “It may have been destructive along coasts near the epicenter.”
Tsunami wave activity of 14 cm (0.5 ft) was recorded off Teluk Dalam, a sub-district in North Sumatra. Fourteen centimeters does not indicate the height of the actual tsunami, as the wave was recorded off the coast. Tsunamis are known to grow as it approaches the coastline, making the actual tsunami height uncertain.
At least five moderate aftershocks shook the region after the first earthquake, the BMKG reported. Those had magnitudes of 5.1, 5.0, 5.2, 5.0 and 5.1.
The Kompas newspaper reported there were power outages in the affected area after the quake, but there was no immediate word on casualties.
According to a U.S. Geological Survey chart, about 33,000 people may have been exposed to ‘severe’ shaking which could result in ‘heavy’ damage to vulnerable structures. Some 457,000 others may have received ‘very strong’ shaking while nearly 1.5 million people may have experienced strong shaking.
A 9.0-magnitude earthquake on December 26, 2004 struck about 167 kilometers northwest of Wednesday’s earthquake. That earthquake and a resulting tsunami killed nearly 230,000 people.
(Copyright 2010 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without explicit prior permission from BNO News B.V. Contact sales@bnonews.com for more information about subscriptions.)
JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) — A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s northern Sumatra on early Wednesday, seismologists said, creating a tsunami that may have affected local coastlines.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake at 5.15 a.m. local time was centered about 200 kilometers (125 miles) west-northwest of Sibolga on Sumatra. It struck about 31 kilometers (19.3 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake.
The Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG), Indonesia’s seismological agency, said the earthquake had tsunami potential and immediately issued a tsunami warning.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a warning, but instead issued a – less severe – tsunami watch. “A destructive widespread tsunami threat does not exist based on historical and tsunami data,” a bulletin from the agency read, indicating other countries are not at risk. “However, there is the possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a hundred kilometers from the earthquake epicenter.”
The agency later confirmed a tsunami was in fact generated. “Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated,” a bulletin read. “It may have been destructive along coasts near the epicenter.” Tsunami wave activity of 14 cm (0.5 ft) was recorded off Teluk Dalam, a sub-district in North Sumatra. Fourteen centimeters does not indicate the height of the actual tsunami, as that was recorded off the coast and tsunamis are known to grow as it approaches the coastline.
At least four moderate aftershocks shook the region after the first earthquake, BMKG reported. Those had magnitudes of 5.0, 4.9, 5.1 and 5.0.
The Kompas newspaper reported there were power outages in the area after the quake, but there was no immediate word on possible casualties.
According to a U.S. Geological Survey chart, about 33,000 people may have been exposed to ‘severe’ shaking which could result in ‘heavy’ damage to vulnerable structures. Some 457,000 others may have received ‘very strong’ shaking while nearly 1.5 million people may have experienced strong shaking.
A 9.0-magnitude earthquake on December 26, 2004 struck about 167 kilometers northwest of Wednesday’s earthquake. That earthquake and a resulting tsunami killed nearly 230,000 people.
(Copyright 2010 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without explicit prior permission from BNO News B.V. Contact sales@bnonews.com for more information about subscriptions.)
