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Tuesday, December 28, 2004



Forwards this Tsunami Relief Site

Tsunami Toll: Millions Now Need Help: Tassie quake linked to Asian disaster
An undersea earthquake that unleashed a devastating tsunami across southern Asia was set in motion by another quake off the coast of Tasmania last week, a seismologist said.
At least 12,600 people are believed to have been killed as a result of Sunday's earthquake and tsunami waves which swamped the coasts of Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia and the Maldives, and measured 9.0 on the Richter scale.
The quake's precursor was a smaller but "very large" undersea quake - measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale - which hit about 900 kms south-east of the Tasmanian coast at 1.59am (AEDT) on Thursday, the seismologist said.
While it caused no damage and was barely felt by anyone in Australia, Geoscience Australia duty seismologist Dr Cvetan Sinadinovski said the Tasmanian quake set the scene for a much larger tectonic disturbance.
The fact that it also occurred on Boxing Day - which also was just two days before the anniversary of Australia's 1989 Newcastle tremor - was purely coincidence...
• · The Indo-Australian plate is moving northwards at a speed of seven centimetres per year ; [A Rare Tsunami, and a Change in Geography ]
• · · Tsunami Will Require Biggest UN Relief Drive
• · · · The Earthquake: So Catacylsmic It Literally Moved An Island
• · · · · With No Alert System, Indian Ocean Nations Were Vulnerable
(See also yesterday’s links below)