The Earth shook like never before
Dramatic new data from the Dec 26, 2004 Sumatran-Andaman earthquake that generated a deadly tsunami show the event created the longest fault rupture and the longest duration of faulting ever observed, according to three reports by an international group of seismologists published on Thursday in the journal Science.
"Normally, a small earthquake might last less than a second; a moderate-sized earthquake might last a few seconds. This earthquake lasted between 500 and 600 seconds," said Charles Ammon, associate professor of geosciences at Penn State University.
The quake released an amount of energy equal to a 100-gigaton bomb, said Roger Bilham, professor of geological sciences at the University of Colorado. And that power lasted longer than any quake ever recorded, according to CNN.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments