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January 02, 2005

Not unexpected

It now emerges that scientists in Indonesia and Australia were recommending a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean, as seismic activity off Java was causing concern. (Stephen Breen has an article in the Scotsman.)

Subduction earthquakes associated with tsunami occurred off the west of Sumatra in 1797 (8.4 magnitude), 1833 (8.7), 1861 (8.5). There was also an earthquake of magnitude 7.9 in 2000. Major earthquakes are known to occur, either singly or in pairs, on average every 230 years in this area. So the disaster was not unexpected.

earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/neicslavfaq.html

www.gps.caltech.edu/~sieh/publications/a10.html

news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=3592005

Posted by Simon Holledge at January 2, 2005 01:45 PM

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