1 hour ago
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
4 earthquakes two large quakes and two small quakes all in one day :( No deaths reported sha
A massive earthquake struck off the
coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday afternoon,
triggering a tsunami watch for the Indian Ocean, which was later
canceled.
The quake struck about 434 kilometers (270 miles) southwest of Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia's Aceh province, and had a
magnitude of 8.6, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It took place at a
depth of 23 kilometers (14 miles).
There was also a series of smaller quakes off the west coast of northern Sumatra with magnitudes between 5.1 and 5.4.
The first quake took place at 2:38 p.m. local time (4:38 a.m. ET).
Epicenter of earthquake off the coast of northern Sumatra
It appears to have involved a horizontal movement rather than a vertical movement, so it is less likely that it will generate a tsunami, Gibson said.
He also said that the tremor took place a long way offshore and was therefore unlikely to have caused much damage.
Still, officials called on coastal residents in some low-lying areas in the region to seek higher ground.
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