September 14, 2007

Multiple Earthquakes Rock Indonesia

Strong tremors continue to leave the island nation shaking

By Vickie An

Six powerful earthquakes and dozens of aftershocks have left the residents of Indonesia trembling for the past three days. On Wednesday, a magnitude 8.4 quake jolted the Southeast Asian country, and the ground has not stopped shaking since.

The sixth massive earthquake in three days shook the Sumatran coast on Friday. This map shows the locations and magnitudes of the quakes.

Surveying the Damage

So far, the shocks have killed at least 13 people and damaged hundreds of buildings and homes on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Wednesday's big quake triggered a 10-foot tsunami that had people running for the hills. The wave crashed into several fishing villages along the Sumatran coast, sweeping away dozens of homes. Luckily, the overall damage was "minimal," said Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Emergency relief teams from the United Nations agreed that a major international aid operation was not required.

As the tremors continue, however, residents are still afraid to go home in case another tsunami hits. Thousands of people have been sleeping in tents on the streets and on hilltops. Fresh in their minds is the devastation caused by the 2004 tsunami. The catastrophe killed more than 230,000 people in several Indian Ocean nations. Sumatra was one of the hardest hit areas. A tsunami warning system set up after the 2004 disaster allowed officials to alert residents of the danger more quickly this time around.

"I am very afraid of another tsunami," said Dasima, a 50-year-old rice farmer, who gave only her first name. She escaped to higher ground with her 7-year-old grandson. "We only cook our rice in the town and then return here to eat and sleep," she said. "We will stay here until we feel it is safe."

Just the Beginning?

Scientists are warning that the worst may still be coming. Experts predict that the series of tremors is leading up to an even bigger quake. Kerry Sieh of the California Institute of Technology has spent decades studying the area's fault line. "No one cay say whether it will be in 30 seconds or 30 years," Sieh said.

Indonesia's location makes it prone to earthquakes. The island sits on what is called "The Ring of Fire," which is made up of an arc of volcanoes and fault lines. Fault lines are where massive pieces of the earth's crust, called tectonic plates, press and strain against each other. A violent slip between the grinding plates creates earthquakes. One major fault line runs along Sumatra's west coast.

"There is a strong indication this foreshadows the big one," says Danny Hillman. Hillman is an earthquake specialist at the Indonesian Institute of Science. "We all agree that there is an 8.5 or stronger earthquake waiting to happen."

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