Why the 2004 Sumatra quake caused a killer tsunami
Posted by staff / September 14, 2010
Researchers have uncovered clues as to why some undersea earthquakes generate huge tsunamis. Their findings may help explain why the 2004 Sumatra “Boxing Day Tsunami” was so devastating, killing more than 230,000 people.
They discovered a number of unusual features at the rupture zone of the 2004 earthquake. “By comparing our results with other subduction zones around the world, we believe that the region of the 2004 Sumatra earthquake is very unusual, suggesting that tsunami hazards may be particularly high in this region,” says Lisa McNeill of the University of Southampton in the UK.
Full story at Futurity.
Photo credit: NSF
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