Tag Archives: Earthquake

Eureka, CA Area Earthquake

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Strong earthquake in the greater Eureka area, California, USA – NO damage so far

Last update: February 14, 2012 at 12:16 am by By 

Image shaking map courtesy USGS

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 5.4
UTC Time : Monday, February 13, 2012 at 21:07:02 UTC
Local time at epicenter :  Monday, February 13, 2012 at 01:07:02 PM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 32.9 km
Geo-location(s) :
10 km (6 miles) WSW (247°) from Weitchpec, CA
28 km (17 miles) ENE (63°) from Westhaven-Moonstone, CA
29 km (18 miles) ENE (70°) from Trinidad, CA
50 km (31 miles) NE (36°) from Eureka, CA

Earthquake overview : A strong earthquake occurred near Redwood National park in California. Distance from the epicenter until Eureka approx. 50 km

Update 22:50 UTC : The Cal Fire reports that “No damage has been reported to CAL FIRE stations.” (Cal Fire = California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection).

Update 22:42 UTC :  Police is currently making assessments in the more remote locations of the direct epicenter area to find out if damage would have been inflicted (even minor).

Update 22:14 UTC :  As of 1:25 p.m. theEureka Police Department had no reports of damage. The temblor was widely felt and that the shaking lasted 30 to 45 seconds.

Update 22:04 UTC :  The area has experienced a massive M 7.3 earthquake on November 8, 1980. 16000 people have been shaken up to a IX MMI, but luckily nobody was killed.

Update 21:59 UTC :  The earthquake has been felt until Sacramento, CA and also in Southern Oregon.

Update 21:59 UTC :  The magnitude has been updated by USGS to Mw 5.6 at a depth of 32.9 km.

Update 21:51 UTC :  Eureka (26,000 people) and Arcata (17,000 people) are the most populated cities in this mainly sparsely populated area. Eureka and Arcata have experienced a light MMI IV shaking. McKinleyville has a population of 15,000 and has also experienced a light shaking.

Update 21:49 UTC :  15 people will have experienced a strong shaking, 4,000 people a moderate shaking and 102,000 people a light shaking.

Update 21:41 UTC :  The depth of the hypocenter will lead to a weak shaking in a very vast area
for more information, and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/02/13/strong-earthquake-in-the-greater-eureka-area-california-usa/

Earthquake—Zug, Zurich

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Moderate but shallow earthquake strikes Zug and Zurich area, Switzerland – NO damage

Last update: February 12, 2012 at 1:01 pm by By 

Earthquake overview : A moderate 4.1 magnitude earthquake struck the greater Zurich area on late Saturday night (local time).

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 4.1 (SE: 4.2)
UTC Time : Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 22:45:25 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 11:45:25 PM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 16 km (SE 32 km)
Geo-location(s) :
14 km S Zurich (pop 341,730)
3 km S Horgen (pop 17,843)
2 km N Hirzel (pop 1,874)

Switzerland-Only real-time earthquake list

Epicenter area – image courtesy Riccola

–
Update 12/02 – 09:32 UTC : Based on reports in the Swiss press, and as predicted by Earthquake-report.com, NO damage has been inflicted.

Update 00:50 UTC : The Swiss seismological agency has been measuring a magnitude of 4.2. Also the Swiss seismological agency does not expect any damage from this earthquake. The epicenter was located in between the Zugersee and the Zurchersee (Zug lake and Zurich lake). Manual calculations have concluded that the hypocenter of depth of the earthquake was at a depth of 30 km, a reason why the earthquake hasn’t been harder felt above the epicenter.

Update : The earthquake has lasted 26 seconds but only a few seconds have been well felt by the people.

Update : Based on our experiences and if the current preliminary data are confirmed, we are convinced that NO serious damage or injuries is expected.
GFZ has recalculated the depth to a less dangerous 16 km and has decreased the magnitude to 4.0. Both main data indicators are becoming less dangerous.

 

Image courtesy USGS

Update : USGS, the United States Seismological Agency is reporting a magnitude of 4.1 at a depth of 16 km. The epicenter is following USGS located at 16 km of Zurich.

Update : The earthquake has been felt until Liechtenstein, Germany (southern border) and France (eastern part).

Update : the lines below shows all 3 important seismological agencies with slightly different values. All these values are to be seen as non-damaging.
EMSC (Europe)    Switzerland    Feb 11 22:45 PM    M 4.2    Depth 32.0 km
USGS    (United States) Switzerland    Feb 11 22:45 PM    M 4.1    Depth 16.0 km
GEOFON   (Germany)  Switzerland    Feb 11 22:45 PM    M 4.0    Depth 19.0 km
Schweizerischer Erdbebendienst : M 4.2 Depth 32 km

Update : small aftershocks may be expected the following hours and days. For Swiss norms these aftershocks maybe very disturbing. Seldom are aftershocks bigger in size than the initial mainshock

A moderate but shallow earthquake hit the greater Zurich area local time 23:45

 

for more information and updates, go to:   http://earthquake-report.com/2012/02/12/moderate-but-shallow-earthquake-strikes-zug-and-zurich-area-switzerland/

 


Earthquake near Honshu, Japan

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Strong shallow earthquake near Sado Island, Honshu, Japan

Last update: February 8, 2012 at 2:15 pm by By 

Earthquake overview : At 21:01 (09:01 PM) a strpng shallow earthquake occurred close to the coast of Sado Island, Honshu, Japan

Coastal village on Sado Island close to the epicenter – courtesy KatyGoat

Update 14:03 UTC
Fire Department of Japan has reported in his third report that as far as 2 hours after the earthquake,  no damage has been detected in the villages or cities and that the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station has not been damaged neither.

Update 13:44 UTC
The strongest earthquake we could trace at Sado Island was a M 6.6 earthquake which occurred at December 9, 1802.

Update 13:34 UTC
Japan seismological agency, JMA is reporting a 5+ intensity, considered by Earthquake-report.com as moderately dangerous for damage.
5+    Sado-shi Aikawa-sanchome and Sado-shi Kawaharada-hommachi*
5-    Sado-shi Ogimachi*, Sado-shi Hamochi-hongo* and Sado-shi Akadomari*
4    Sado-shi Iwayaguchi*, Sado-shi Ryotsu-minato*, Sado-shi Matsugasaki*, Sado-shi Chigusa*, Sado-shi Niibo-uryuya*, Sado-shi Mano-shimmachi*, Sado-shi Ryotsu-shisho* and Sado-shi Aikawa-sakaemachi*
Japan seismological intensity values are scaled from 0 to 7. 5+ JMA can be compared with 7 MMI (very strong shaking).

Sado Island earthquake – Intensity map courtesy JMA Japan

Update 13:32 UTC
Sado Province was a province of Japan until 1871; since then, it has been a part of Niigata Prefecture. It was sometimes called Sashū or Toshū. It lies on the eponymous Sado Island, off the coast of Niigata Prefecture (or in the past, Echigo Province).
Sado was famous for the silver and gold mined on the island. In the Kamakura Period, the province was granted to the Honma clan from Honshū, and they continued to dominate Sado until 1589, when Uesugi Kagekatsu of Echigo Province took over the island. The Tokugawa shoguns later made Sado a personal fief after Sekigahara, and assumed direct control of its mines.
Since 2004 Sado city has comprised the entire island.
Its rich history and relaxed rural atmosphere make Sado one of the major tourist destinations in Niigata Prefecture. The island has several temples and historical ruins, and offers possibilities for various outdoor activities, as well as fresh local food.
Sado is famous as the major breeding area for the Japanese Crested Ibis. The last known Japan-born Japanese Crested Ibis died in captivity in 2003 on the island. Currently, birds from China are being bred in a captive program in a facility in Niibo area. The Ibis, Toki in Japanese, is a major symbol of the Island and can be found on several tourist items. There are plans to release Ibis in the wild at the end of 2008. (source Wikipedia)

Update 13:31 UTC
The Island area does not seem to be particularly dangerous, although moderate earthquakes are fairly common.

The strong shallow and thus moderately dangerous earthquake occurred almost below Sado Island, an island approx. 50 km from the western Honshu coast.

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 5.7
UTC Time : Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 12:01:37 UTC
Local time at epicenter :  Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 09:01:37 PM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 10 km
Geo-location(s) :
10 km from Sawazakihana Light (Sado Island)
38 km SW Ryotsu (pop 16,359)
72 km NW Nagaoka (pop 195,318)

for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/02/08/strong-shallow-earthquake-near-sado-island-honshu-japan/

Phillipine Sea Strong Earthquake

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Strong earthquake 60 km out in the Philippine Sea, Samar, Philippines

Last update: February 4, 2012 at 3:14 pm by By 

M 5.9      2012/02/04 13:09     Depth 19.0 km      SAMAR, PHILIPPINES

09:09:29 PM at epicenter
Very strong earthquake 60 km out in the Philippine Sea
140 km from Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines
Reported intensities by Phivolcs, the Philippines seismological agency
Intensity IV – Gamay, Northern Samar
Intensity III – Palo, Leyte; Tacloban,Leyte; San Policarpo, E. Samar; Dolosa, Leyte; Catbalogan, Samar; Oras E. Samar
Update 15:14 UTC  : 4 aftershocks so far, among these aftershocks 1 of M 5.0
PHIVOLCS Satellite map of the greater epicenter area

M 5.8      2012/02/04 07:40      Depth 10.1 km     TONGA
08:40:13 PM at epicenter
Strong earthquake with an epicenter approx. 50 km from the Hai-apai group.
140 km (86 miles) ENE of NUKU`ALOFA, Tonga
Satellite map of the greater epicenter area (see below)

Label info : M = magnitude, D = depth (km), Time = UTC

from:   http://earthquake-report.com/2012/02/04/earthquakes-list-february-4-2012/

Indonesia Earthquake near Bengkulu

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Ml5.9 earthquake hits Indonesia close to Bengkulu – damaged houses

Last update: February 1, 2012 at 10:47 am by By 

 

Earthquake Shakemap (Courtesy: BMKG, Indonesia)

Earthquake overview :

BMKG is reporting a moderate depth earthquake of magnitude 5.9 (29km deep according to BMKG, 69km deep according to USGS) near Bengkulu in Indonesia.

UPDATE:  A number of damaged buildings occurred including the buildings of the Regional Investment Coordinating Board (BKPMD) Bengkulu province and the building Indonesia Journalists Association (PWI) Bengkulu.

Walls of two other buildings were cracked. The earthquake also made a collapsed the roofs of a number of houses. “The roof of my house collapsed due to earthquake. There are also some sections of the wall which cracked,” said Sido Mulyo Village residents, the city of Bengkulu.

UPDATE: The shock of the earthquake was strong enough to make most of the citizens of the cities of Bengkulu and Mukomuko jump and run out of the house to save themselves. It has caused much panic. In the city of Bengkulu, picture frames and paintings have fallen. A citizen of Mukomuko reported that the earthquake shaking was felt strongly and was of short duration.

UPDATE: There is currently no damage data coming out of Indonesia but it has been felt in Bengkulu. The hypocenter was offshore.

UPDATE: There is currently a large difference between hypocenters from various agencies. The Indonesian data gives the most chance of damage in Bengkulu.

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 5.6Mb (USGS), 5.3Mw (GEOFON), 5.9Ml (BMKG)
UTC Time : Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 at 07:14:27 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 at 14:14:27 UTC
Depth (hypocenter) : 69km (USGS), 71km (GEOFON), 29km (BMKG)
Geo-location(s) : 30 km KOTA-BENGKULU, 34 km KEPAHIANG-BENGKULU , 42 km SELUMA-BENGKULU , 34 km BENGKULU-BENGKULU , 588 km BaratLaut JAKARTA-INDONESIA

for updates and more information, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/02/01/ml5-9-earthquake-hits-indonesia-close-to-bengkulu/

Ica, Peru Strong Earthquake

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Very strong dangerous earthquake near Ica, Peru

Last update: January 30, 2012 at 2:43 pm by By 

The centre of Ica – damage is expected to be found as day breaks. (Wiki Commons, Oliver Etchebarne)

Shaking map : max : MMI VI – courtesy USGS

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 6.3
UTC Time : Monday, January 30, 2012 at 05:11:00 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Monday, January 30, 2012 at 12:11:00 AM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 39 km
Geo-location(s) :
23 km (14 miles) SE (134°) from Ica, Peru
97 km (60 miles) SSE (147°) from Chincha Alta, Peru

Update 14:40UTC:  Indeci still maintains the figures of 98 injured,  3 people homeless, 10 people in affected houses, 1 destroyed house and 2 damaged, however other reports give much higher damaged buildings estimates.

An intensity of V was seen in Ica, meaning lower damage to be expected. The hypocenter was updated to Ml6.3, but the depth was 54km.  (The epicenter was 47km SW of Ica).

Update 13:40UTC:  The reports from earlier have been confirmed that the cathedral in Ica had several blocks of the roof which fell down, luckily not killing anyone.

Update 12:40UTC: Around 100 people have been injured, however most are not seriously injured with only 12 of these severely injured.

Update 12:00UTC: The statistics remain the same as at 11.00 UTC – 96 people injured, at least 10 houses destroyed, power and water outages.

Update 11:00UTC:
There have been 96 people injured as a result, according to the preliminary damage information provided by Civil Defence authorities. Many houses have been damaged as a result of the earthquake and a number of homeless are expected. At least 10 houses have been deemed uninhabitable.

Some sections of Ica are still without power and water. The wall of the third floor of a house located at the same intersection of the Piura and Chincha avenues near Ica collapsed and crashed into the center of the house after the earthquake in the morning. It did not have any cross bracing.

For persons injured by the earthquake in Ica, the General Office of National Defense, Ministry of Health informed the Emergency Operations Center National INDECI that they have been evacuated to hospitals and health centers for immediate care.

Staff of the National Police of Peru are currently in all the provinces of the Ica region, while the Civil Defense Office of the provincial and district municipalities are conducting an assessment and monitoring test in coordination with the Regional Directorate of INDECI in Ica.

For its part, Ica regional authorities made ​​an assessment visit in the districts of Ocucaje and Santiago in order to determine damage assessment and needs analysis.

INDECI boss, General Alfredo Espinoza Murgueytio, has travelled in the last hours to the city of Ica, to coordinate with the Regional Government authorities and assess the damage caused by the earthquake.

It should be noted that the quake was also felt in the regions of Lima, Ayacucho, Huancavelica, Junin and Arequipa.

Update 10:00UTC:  In addition, many sectors of the city of Ica are still without electric service and several homes were badly damaged. Even a few structures that withstood the 2007 earthquake, now collapsed such as the cornice of St. Joseph Church and the old houses near Ica. We at earthquake-report.com believe that there will be significant losses discovered as day breaks. The number of injured is 70 and no deaths have been reported as yet. Power outages however are making information distribution difficult at the moment.

for more information and updates, go to:   http://earthquake-report.com/2012/01/30/very-strong-shallow-dangerous-earthquake-near-ica-peru/

6.1 Quake off New Zealand

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1/19/2012 — 6.1 magnitude earthquake hits New Zealand

Posted on January 19, 2012

Today, January 19, 2012 — a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck about 120 miles south of New Zealand.

The entire south/west pacific plate has been moving exponentially faster over the past few months — things are picking up — not letting off.

Look at the screenshot below — showing the last 48 hours of earthquakes around the Pacific ring of fire.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0007ng0.php

Earthquake Details

  • This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.
Magnitude 6.1
Date-Time
Location 46.676°S, 165.724°E
Depth 18.1 km (11.2 miles)
Region OFF WEST COAST OF THE SOUTH ISLAND, N.Z.
Distances 204 km (126 miles) W of Invercargill, New Zealand
293 km (182 miles) SW of Queenstown, New Zealand
380 km (236 miles) WSW of Dunedin, New Zealand
940 km (584 miles) SW of WELLINGTON, New Zealand

——————————————————

from:    http://sincedutch.wordpress.com/

Nayshabur, Iran, Earthquake

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Strong very dangerous earthquake in Iran near Nayshabur (Mashhad) – 36 people hospitalized

Last update: January 19, 2012 at 4:14 pm by By 

Earthquake overview : A very shallow magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck very close to Nayshaboor, a city with a population of 221,000 inhabitants. Especially some bigger villages close to the epicenter may be at risk.

Update 16:13 :

FARS agency reports that 36 people have been injured and hospitalized in the hospitals at Nayshabur.

Update 15:45 :
Authorities in the epicenter area are saying that this is one of the strongest earthquakes during the last decade. The shaking has lasted 5 to 7 seconds, according to local people.

Update 15:14 :
Seyed Reza Abbasi, in the exclusive interview with Gulf correspondent in Mashhad,  said that reports of damage caused by this earthquake are coming in. There are reports of cracked walls of houses and more damage in urban and rural areas, especially in the villages and monasteries.

Update 14:46 :
Red Crescent Director General of Khorasan Razavi province, said 11 groups from the department and rescue operations were dispatched to the earthquake affected areas.

Important update 14:42 :
– USGS has lowered his magnitude from M 5.6 to M 5.1. The depth was updated from 10.4 to 14 km, both updates in favor of a better ending.
– EMSC maintains a magnitude of 5.4 at a depth of 10 km.
– The local Iranian Seismological agency reports a magnitude of 5.5 at a depth of 8 km!.  The epicenter is following the Iranions just 250 meter from Mir Abad another small town. We tend to believe the Iranians most as they have the most instruments in the area and as they are very skilled seismologists. This is really bad news for Mir Abad.

Update 14:35 :
A Magnitude 4.0 aftershock happened a little while ago. Since the mainshock, IIEES recorded 20 aftershocks!

The townd Earthquake-report.com calls in the highest danger area – click on the image to make it bigger

Update 14:22 :
Mashhad seems to have escaped the big shaking and reports coming in are speaking from only minor damage. Most of the attention goes now to North Neyshaboor, however we at earthquake-report.com are fearing more for the towns of Boshr Abad and Taragh, both towns with a population of of several thousand people.

Update 14:19 :
Experience report just in for Mashhad : It was the first time for me to experience such earthquake. I was resting on my bed when I felt the quack and heard the noise made by window.

Update 14:18 :
For Iranian media, this is a very important earthquake.  Iranian media are publishing updates almost every 10 minutes, very exceptional!, probably part of a big city in the area.

Update 14:16 :
Red Crescent teams are being send to North Neyshaboor. Red Crescent is the Iranian division of the Red Cross.

Update 14:12 :
As always, most of the attention goes to the big cities, but some other small towns are even closer to the earthquake epicenter like Boshr Abad, only 4 km ! and Taragh, only 5 km ! The epicenter is located at the foot of the mountains, a mountain rang. The highest summit in the mountains in the background of  Nayshabur are at a height of 3100 m and are snow covered during winter (now) , Nayshabur has an altitude of approx. 1200 m.

Update 14:04 :
Few people have an idea about the size of unknown Iranian cities like Nayshabur. The Google satellite image below gives an impression about the vast populated area. A lot of the houses are build in masonry and concrete, both vulnerable for earthquake damage if not properly build following earthquake resistant codes.

Google satellite map of the city of Neyashabur

Update 14:00 :
There are no traces of a recent damaging earthquake close to the current epicenter, which makes it difficult for estimations of damage. Another important aspect of the earthquake being dangerous or not is the focal depth or the hypocenter. If very shallow (10.4 km is very shallow) than the impact will be very high.

for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/01/19/strong-earthquake-causes-casualties-in-iran/

Guiuan, Samar Phillipines Strong Earthquake

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Strong dangerous coastal earthquake near Guiuan, Samar, The Philippines – high chance on landslides

Last update: January 17, 2012 at 3:04 pm by By 

 

Earthquake overview : Strong coastal earthquake. Initial reports where mentioning a magnitude of 5.9, but PHIVOLCS, the Philippines seismological agency reports a far less dangerous M 5.0 at a depth of 42 km.

Landscape at the peninsula closest to the epicenter – Panoramio image by Ronnie Muring

– IMPORTANT Update 15:58
Phivolcs has also updated his earthquake data as follows : Magnitude 5.9 at a depth of only 25 km, completely the opposite from 1 hour ago

– Update 15:58
Phivolcs is expecting damage from this earthquake.  ER estimates that the damage will be minor, if any, but as described by meteorologist Robert Speta in the video below, the chance on landslides in the current weather conditions is “very high”. The ground motion sets many earth masses gliding.

– Update 15:55
Phivolcs has reported the following intensities (more or less the same than USGS)
Intensity V– Salcedo, Borongan and Guiuan, Eastern Samar
Intensity IV– Tacloban, Palo and Tolosa, Leyte; Catbalogan, Samar; Dolores and San Policarpo, Eastern Samar
Intensity III– St. Bernard and Hinunangan, Southern Leyte; Catarman, Northern Samar
Intensity II– Naval, Biliran
Intensity I– Cebu City
The PHIVOLCS intensity  is ranging from 1 to 10
V, the max. intensity reported by PHIVOLCS is described as : Strong – Generally felt by most people indoors and outdoors. Many sleeping people are awakened. Some are frightened, some run outdoors. Strong shaking and rocking felt throughout building. Hanging objects swing violently. Dining utensils clatter and clink; some are broken. Small, light and unstable objects may fall or overturn. Liquids spill from filled open containers. Standing vehicles rock noticeably. Shaking of leaves and twigs of trees are noticeable

– Update 15:47
USGS has decreased his magnitude data from 5.9 to 5.7. The depth has been updated from 50 km to 36 km. As the calculation of earthquake data is very difficult, it is normal that preliminary data are updated later on, however a such a big difference in between a local agency (Phivolcs) and USGS is rather seldom.

– for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/01/17/strong-coastal-earthquake-near-guiuan-samar-the-philippines/.

Indonesia Earthquake 1/10

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Massive earthquake out of the coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia – Tsunami alert lifted

Last update: January 11, 2012 at 8:22 am by By 

January 10, 2012 By 

Earthquake overview : A massive earthquake occurred several hundred km out of the Sumatra Banda Aceh coast. Theoretical calculations concluded that no widespread tsunami would occur in the Pacific Ocean. Indonesian authorities have however called a tsunami alert for many areas in Sumatra.

A WISE TSUNAMI ADVICE in case you are living or traveling to an earthquake rich area of the world and are residing close to the coast :  EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY TO HIGHER GROUNDS (10 to 30 meters higher than sea level) IF :

– strong shaking goes on for 30 seconds or longer
– the authorities are calling for an evacuation
– you see a fast unusual retreating sea

Triggers of today’s massive earthquake :
The January 10, 2012 earthquake off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, occurred as a result of strike-slip faulting within the oceanic lithosphere of the Indo-Australia plate, approximately 100 km to the southwest of the major subduction zone that defines the plate boundary between the Indo-Australia and Sunda plates offshore Sumatra. At the location of this earthquake, the Indo-Australia plate moves north-northeast with respect to the Sunda plate at a velocity of approximately 52 mm/yr.
While they are rare, large strike-slip earthquakes are not unprecedented in this region of the Indo-Australian plate. Since the massive M 9.1 earthquake that ruptured a 1300 km long segment of the Sumatran megathrust plate boundary in December of 2004, two Mw 6.2 strike-slip events have occurred within 50 km of the January 10 2012 event, on April 19 2006, and October 4 2007. These events seem to align with fabric of the sea floor in the diffuse boundary zone between the Indian and Australian plates. (summary as described by USGS)

Update : At midnight UTC,  4 aftershocks ranging from 4.8 to 4.9 have been listed by USGS.

Update : The tsunami alert was maintained longer at Simeulue  island (Aceh province) as this island was closest to the epicenter. Although Simeulue was not indicated as a place at risk by the GDACS simulation, authorities do not want to take any risk.

Important update : Indonesian authorities have lifted the earlier called Tsunami alert. People in Banda Aceh reported a retreating sea after the earthquake occurred, just like it happened in 2004 during the devastating tsunami who killed more than 200,000 people.  Luckily no reports about any serious waves so far.

Update : We know from earlier experiences in Indonesia that local people often do not trust the authoritiesand remain in safe locations even if the authorities ask them to return to their house and pick up their daily life. Additionally, rumors are often spread that an even heavier earthquake and tsunami will be triggered. Rumors are one of the major problems after earthquakes.

Update : Indonesian media are reporting that BMKG, the local Indonesian seismological agency, has lowered the magnitude from 7.6 to 7.1. BMKG triggered an early warning tsunami alert to the local agencies. BMKG received reports that people fled their houses almost automatically for a safe location. No reports as yet from the real wave heights. People have been asked to stay in the safe places for a longer time and not to return to heir houses to soon.

Update : A lot of panic amongst the Sumatra population when they felt the earthquake and when the tsunami sirens went off.

Red bullets are indicating Tsunami alert from the Indonesian authorities

Update : MetroTV Indonesia is one of the only channels reporting on the earthquake and potential tsunami risk. The image at right shows where the Indonesian authorities have called a tsunami alarm for the coastal areas.

Update : Based on the GDACS data, the time that the waves may have reached Simeulue and Northern Sumatra is over now.  We expect final experience reports soon.

Update : We still cannot reach BMKG, the Indonesian seismological agency via the Internet due to too heavy demand.  This happened also in the USA during the Virginia earthquake (USGS).

Update : If all theoretical data will be confirmed, this was a LUCKY ESCAPE, but this earthquake will have send vibrations of fear through the population of Northern Sumatra.

Update : The GDCAS image below shows very well the propagation of the tsunami wave from the epicenter versus the northern part of Sumatra, including Banda Aceh.  GDACS has calculated based on historical earthquakes and lots of additional data, that the waves in Northern Sumatra will be max. 0.4 meter

Tsunami wave distribution and height – Image courtesy GDACS

Update : Indonesian media are currently reporting a SR magnitude of 7.6
A TSUNAMI ALERT has been called by the local BMKG for parts of the country (unclear at this moment, but certainly the islands and Sumatra, including Banda Aceh). Our experience is that people in Indonesia are mostly not waiting for an alert but are auto-evacuating when a strong shaking for more than 30 second occurs.
Indonesian media are only reporting earthquake numbers , no background information yet

Fault line west of the Sumatra coast

Update : Magnitudes and depths as calculated by other seismological agencies :
EMSC : M 7.3 @ 10 km
GEOFON (Germany) : M 7.1 @ 10 km
CEN (China) : M 7.2 @ 20 km

for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/01/10/very-strong-to-massive-earthquake-out-of-the-coast-of-northern-sumatra-indonesia/