Magnitude 8.9 Earthquake off Sumatra Indonesia April 11th 2012

USGS
BBC Report

There are reports of tsunami warnings. I hope everyone is getting to high ground in high risk areas. Reply to this

Is it best to get to to high ground, or to get off the island as fast as possible, when something like this happens?

I bet, lots of people panic and try to get off the island, only to find that the bad roads and terrible traffic conditions in Sumatra are even worse than usual with the extra number of people trying to use them.

I loved Sumatra, but I have to say I breathed a sigh of relief on leaving, that this island famous for its earth quakes didnt give us a demonstration of one. When I asked a few people about it, they told me most of the earthquakes are mild and harmless. I wondered if the cracks on our guesthouse wall were caused by the harmless ones, or the other ones.

At least, we were on high ground, for most of our time in Sumatra, having braved the mini bus ride that swung as fast as the driver could make it go, around the over 60 hairpin bends to get us up the mountain to the lake we wanted to get to. I wouldnt like to be trying to get up there in an emergency though, because of how the drivers in Sumatra are, and likely a traffic jam or broken down vehicle would cause chaos for those behind.
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I've also read reports of the horizontal vs. vertical undersea quake, I hope that it means no tsunamis

This seems to be the case with this earthquake from what the experts are saying. When the plates slip across each other, i.e. rubbing against each other, the earthquake is less likely to cause a tsunami. It's when one plate falls, pushing the other plate upwards into the water that causes tsunamis. Fingers crossed there isn't a tsunami but by the official reports one has been generated but no-one knows of the damage or how large. See here for more info. all coastal areas have been evacuated but from reports on the Thai Andaman coast the evacuation is pretty chaotic. Phuket airport has been closed.

I haven't got a clue what would happen in the places where there is no high ground - go to the roof of a tall building? The 2004 tsunami wasn't more than 2 storeys high, so you would probably be safe.

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In response to: Msg #154503

I taught this phenomena to my IBDP high school students just last week.

Here is my attempt at an explanation in 140 characters:

probably no tsunami as a result of latest earthquake as the tectonic plates rubbed and ground against another rather than snapped or flicked @aspiringnomads

- Though this of course isn't to say the earthquake itself wouldn't have caused structural damage.
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Thinking of everyone in the danger area's I hope there are no more quakes and no Tsunami's Banda Aceh has certainly has its fair share, stay safe everyone x Reply to this

Here is a thread, with littlewing and her mother reporting live from Sumatra, about the earthquakes, while the family members at home hover anxiously around the news reports.
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