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Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

A New Jolt

Spanish Translation

By Andrea Delbanco

At 11:09 p.m. on March 28, the earth's crust shifted. The impact resulted in a powerful 8.7-magnitude earthquake that ravaged several small Indonesian islands. Officials fear the total death toll could rise as high as 600.

Most of the major damage happened on Nias (nee-uhs), a small island that is home to 6,000 people. Nias is about 75 miles north of the epicenter, the area directly above the spot in the earth's crust where an earthquake starts. The epicenter was in the Indian Ocean. Geologists believe that the damage would have been worse if the center of the earthquake had been directly under land.

Two Great Quakes
Indonesia is still recovering from the disaster that struck on December 26. A 9.0-magnitude earthquake rumbled deep in the Indian Ocean. The tremors created strong waves of water, called a tsunami (soo-nah-mee), which hit the coasts of 11 countries. About 174,000 people were killed, 100,000 are still missing and 1.5 million were left homeless.

December's quake ranks fourth in the century's 10 largest earthquakes. The March quake is the seventh largest.

Both great quakes struck along the same fault line, where plates of the earth's crust meet. The quakes are certainly related. "Really, all earthquakes in some way influence the earthquakes that come after them," Mike Blanpied, a scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey, told TFK.

Reliving the Horror
No scale can measure the emotional impact of two devastating disasters in one area in such a short time. "It was like reliving the same horror of three months ago," said Fatheena Faleel, who had to fled her home.

Several strong aftershocks, one measuring 6.3 in magnitude, rocked the region. And for several scary hours, concerns about a second tsunami swept through Asia.

Governments quickly issued tsunami warnings. Residents of Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka fled their homes along the coast to higher ground.

Most people were happy with the rapid response time of the tsunami alerts. A new system was put in place after the last disaster. "Overall, the government is satisfied with what we did last night," said Suranand Vejjajiva, an official in Taiwan.

Help is on the Way
Nias was hit very hard. Many buildings were totally destroyed. In the days after the quake, the island had limited water and electricity. A soccer field was turned into a makeshift hospital. Helicopters were able to land on the island, but large planes could not because the airport runway was damaged.

Many countries offered immediate help to Indonesia. Japan sent an emergency medical team and supplies. Singapore delivered food and water. Australia sent two military planes carrying medical supplies.

The U.S. also promised aid. Said President George W. Bush: "The people of Indonesia can know that our government is ready to assist."

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Inside the Earth

The earth's crust is like a giant jigsaw puzzle floating on a hot lava ball. Take a look inside the earth to find out what makes the crust move.

Inner Core - A ball of solid rock is at the center of the earth.

Outer Core - A layer of burning-hot liquid rock lies above the inner core.

Mantle - Hot, dense rock flows slowly here.

Crust - This is the earth's surface layer. Its seven major plates float above the mantle.

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