Tsunami again?
Mar. 28th, 2005 02:06 pmA magnitude-8.2 earthquake struck
near the coastline of northern Sumatra at 11:09 p.m. local time on March 28,
according to the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center.
The magnitude and location of the earthquake remain unconfirmed as of yet, as
well as whether or not a tsunami was triggered. The epicenter is seemingly quite
close to the site of last December’s destructive magnitude-9.3 earthquake,
which set off a tsunami that traveled across the Indian Ocean with devastating
effects.
USGS published this preliminary map of
the location of today's earthquake in Sumatra, not far from last December's
event. Courtesy of USGS.
NOAA's Pacific Tsunami Warning system issued a bulletin warning that the earthquake
"has the potential to generate a widely destructive tsunami" nearby
and that "authorities in those regions should be aware of this possibility
and take immediate action." The bulletin goes on to suggest evacuation
of coastlines that are within 1,000 kilometers of the earthquake's epicenter,
and suggests monitoring for further away. The region currently has no tsunami
monitoring system in place.
