Quake's Jolting Effect Leaves The Earth Ringing
By Andy Geller
New York Post
12-28-4
Because of Sunday's gargantuan quake, planet Earth is ringing like a church bell.
You can't hear it, but it's being measured at seismic stations around the world, including Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, N.Y.
It will last for three days, perhaps longer.
The quake, which measured 9.0 on the Richter scale, was caused by the shifting of geological plates along a 600-mile area.
This changed the Earth's mass.
As the mass returns to normal, it moves back and forth, much like a church bell when struck by a tong, said Stony Brook geophysicist Teng-fong Wong.
The phenomenon was observed after the 9.5-magnitude quake in Chile in 1960 and the 9.2 magnitude temblor in Alaska in 1964.
After both quakes, the ringing lasted for three days, getting smaller every day.
The ringing now should last about that long and there's no need to worry.
Scientists say it's harmless. "Everything will calm down. We don't have any reason to be scared," said Constantin Cranganu, a geophysics prof at Brooklyn College.
Of far greater concern is the strong possibility of aftershocks as the geological plates adjust.
These could measure 6.0 to 7.0 on the Richter scale, the size of many earthquakes, and so could cause additional damage, said Lamont-Doherty seismologist Art Lerner-Lam.
He said, however, that it's unlikely the tremors will trigger the tsunamis, or killer waves, that caused most of the death and destruction in Sunday's quake.
Lerner-Lam said the aftershocks could last for months, although their size and frequency will die down.
The quake caused a shift in the Earth's rotation, as the change in the planet's mass altered the effect of the pull of gravity on the Earth.
But not to worry. The same thing happens in the summer and winter. It's harmless and it shouldn't last long.
A tsunami last crossed the Indian Ocean in 1509. Scientists had not expected anything close to the quake and killer waves that struck Sunday because 90 percent of tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean, where there are warning systems.
Copyright 2004 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/37340.htm
=========================
Was the Christmas/Boxing Day 2004 Earthquake-Tsunami Event Caused by Seismic (Tectonic) Warfare?
READ FULL ARTICLE AT:
http://www.ecologynews.com/ecologynews103.html
==========================
Project INTAS 99-064
Final Report: May, 2000 ? May, 2002
Co-ordinator: Valerio De Rubeis
Address: Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Via di Vigna Murata, 605, I-00143, Roma, Italy
Phone: +39 0651860215?
Fax:???? +39 065041303
e-mail: derubeis@ingv.it
Summary of the obtained results:
The seismic, tectonic and geologic data in northern Tien Shan and Pamir were refined. The data on the influence of the firing runs of pulsed MHD generators, underground nuclear explosions, magnetic storms on seismicity were gathered. The records of temporal variation of potential geophysical triggers were compiled. The statistical analysis of the above data sets was performed to establish possible cause-effect relationships between seismicity and the various potential triggers. The spatio-temporal and energetic characteristics of induced seismicity and its relationship with the natural and technogenic triggering processes under study were investigated, and databases of temporal variation of the various geophysical fields ? potential triggers were created. The results of this study shows that the action of high energy electromagnetic pulses radiated by MHD generators causes substantial changes in the seismicity of earthquake source zones by accelerating the release of energy stored in the crust due to the activity natural tectonic processes in the form of comparatively small seismic events. Based on the consideration of energy balance to be preserved in the crust, it can be conjectured that a man-induced increase in the ratio of seismic energy radiated in the form of small earthquakes leads to an additional release of tectonic stresses, thereby diminishing the likelihood of catastrophic events (or at any rate, reduces the energy of such events). The high efficiency of electromagnetic excitation suggests the conclusion that the effect discussed can be used in development of the earthquake prevention techniques.
The experimental study of electric impact on the stressed rock specimen showed that at all stages of deformation an acoustic emission (AE) in the periods of electrical excitation was by 2 – 5% higher than at the phases of natural activity. The transmission of impulses of amplitude of the order of 3 kV caused short-term increase of AE by 10 – 15% as compared to the level of natural activity. A sharp decrease of activity was noted then within 2 – 3 seconds. The main conclusion from our first laboratory experiments could be stated as following: increasing of acoustic emission (AE) activity of loaded samples was found as result of triggering effect produced by electric pulses. The nature of the phenomena is remained not yet clear, although there are some reasons to assume trigger mechanism for AE initiating.
An hypothesis is proposed on physical nature of the EM impact on the seismicity regime. A phenomenological model is proposed of interaction between electromagnetic and seismic fields. The model includes electrokinetics as a dominant mechanism of energy conversion from electromagnetic into acoustic (seismic) form. Thus, as the medium is pored and fluid saturated, double electric layers are assumed to play the most significant role. All the media may be considered to be composed of sequence of the double electric layers, and electromagnetic impact produces variation of dielectric permittivity and thus variations in intra-pore stresses.
The laboratory experiments carried out by Georgian group were aimed to reproduce on the small scale the impact on mechanical stability of strong EM pulses that was discovered in the field experiments. It has been shown that: 1. strong EM pulses applied to the mechanical system (rock sample on the inclined surface) driven close to the critical state, initiate slip with some probability or hampers it depending on the mutual orientation of electrical field and slip surface; 2. weak (relative to the pulling force) periodical force of mechanical or EM origin applied to the sample pulled with constant speed on the horizontal surface invokes quite different regimes of slip depending on the amplitude and the frequency of applied perturbations. The regimes of slip vary from the perfect synchronization (control) of slip events with the perturbing periodical mechanical or EM impact to the complete desynchronization of these phenomena. The elementary theory of slip EM enhancement/hampering, similar to pore pressure approach in shear fracture is suggested.
Besides experiments, non linear analysis methods were applied to the sequences of interevent times of earthquakes of Bishkek region for three periods: before, during and after MHD experiments. It is shown that strong EM discharges lead to the significant increase of regularity in earthquakes temporal distribution.
In the Work Programme (WP), the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) and Institute of Engineering Seismology and Earthquake Engineering (ITSAK) undertook to analyze the effect of the MHD discharges on the region?s seismicity (evolution in space, in time and energy distribution). The work was carried out jointly by INGV and ITSAK, with application of a jointly developed multifractal formalism.
Results show that, although the seismicity of the study region exhibits multifractal patterns both in space and in time, the stronger multifractality of the catalog corresponding to the period of the MHD runs is due to the spatio-temporal clustering of the aftershocks of a strong (m=6.28) event. Upon removal of this sequence, the three catalogs (before, during and after the MHD tests) show similar multifractal behaviour. On the other hand, seismic energy release is monofractal and unaffected by the electromagnetic discharges. All in all, our results imply that the EM discharges had a negligible (difficult to detect) effect on the spatio-temporal and energetic evolution of seismicity in the study region, as characterized by its multifractal structure. Nevertheless it should be noted that seismic catalogue of the region covering periods without EM discharges had strong events too. Corresponding sequences did not show the strong multifractal character of the main sequence during EM experiment in time and space domain. An open question can be formulated: did EM discharges affect the dynamics of the main sequence?
Impact of the results:
The results obtained may be potentially applied in any statistical processing of various natural and technogenic events. Especially useful are databases collected: refined catalogues of various natural (earthquakes, magnetic storms, earth tides) and technogenic (nuclear explosions, MHD generator runs) events. The high efficiency of electromagnetic excitation suggests the conclusion that the effect discovered can be used in a development of the technology of release of tectonic stresses in the Earth crust for the earthquake hazard mitigation.
http://www.ingv.it/ing/ing712/INTAS99www/r...finalreport.htm
==================
Tsunami death toll hits 144,000
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0...3%255E2,00.html
THE RAPTURE? 144,000 suddenly 'dispappear, are 'swept' away...
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=144000+rapture&meta=
Magnitude 9.0 - SUMATRA-ANDAMAN ISLANDS EARTHQUAKE
OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
2004 December 26 00:58:53 UTC
=====================================
Magnitude 9.0
Date-Time Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 00:58:53 (UTC)
= Coordinated Universal Time
Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 7:58:53 AM
= local time at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 3.316°N, 95.854°E
Depth 30 km (18.6 miles) set by location program
Region OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
Distances
250 km (155 miles) SSE of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
310 km (195 miles) W of Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia
1260 km (780 miles) SSW of BANGKOK, Thailand
1605 km (990 miles) NW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 5.6 km (3.5 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters Nst=276, Nph=276, Dmin=654.9 km, Rmss=1.04 sec, Gp= 29°,
M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=U
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/
Sumatra Continuing Seismic
Noise - Danger Continues
From Harry Mason
orbitx@bigpond.com
1-1-5
Dear Jeff,
Re: SUMATRA BOXING DAY SEISMIC EVENT
I note that all seismic info web sites are showing large (6.0-5.0 richter scale) quakes continuing every couple of hours along the Andaman-Sumatra fault line. These have been occurring ever since Boxing Day (26-12-04) right up until today (1-01-05). The continuing quakes demonstrate VERY "noisy" high energy background seismograph records when viewed on seismograms collected from seismic stations located within a few thousand kilometers of the original 9.0 richter event. This may indicate continued high frequency micro-quakes of the type associated with volcanic intrusion in the upper crust - on a massive scale - along the Andaman-Sumatra island arc zone.
The IRIS and USGS web sites show the spread of recent quakes running along some 1000km of fault line from the Andamans to NW Sumatra. But the European Seismic Centre at http://www.emsc-csem.org/ has been re-calculating the many quake epi-centres and their work suggests these quakes are (mostly) clustering around the same point - off NW Sumatra.
Given the violent off-scale nature of seismograms over the last few days it is difficult to generate either precise richter level info OR precise Lat-Long co-ordinates for specific events. In fact the noise level on many seismograms suggest this has been and is a nearly continuous energy event with regular high energy peaks every few hours. This may indicate that igneous intrusive action is occurring here on a massive scale deep within the crust associated with continual faulting movement along the proto island arc???
A long dormant Andaman volcano has begun to errupt over the last few days and an Indian Government geologist has said that this erruption is nothing to be concerned about. Many volcanoes along the Andaman-Sumatran arc are of a highly explosive type - but I am unfamiliar with the specific newly errupting volcano type.
If you read the information below (taken from Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis site re the 1883 explosion of Krakatoa you might wish to contest the statement that "there is nothing to be concerned about" !!!
You should note that some 1000 years previously an exploding proto Krakatoa was literally the cause of the "DARK AGES" !!! But more recently, in 1883, it began all over again as follows :
"After a long period of inactivity (about 200 years), Krakatoa became active again in early 1883. The first indication that something was happening on Krakatoa was when a large earthquake struck the area. Seismic activity became stronger until May 20,1883, when the volcano abruptly came to life. The initial explosive eruptions of Krakatoa could be heard 160 km away. Steam and ash could be seen rising 11km above the summit of the volcano. By August 11, 1883. three vents were actively erupting. Eleven other vents were ejecting smaller quantities of steam, ash and dust.
Around 1 pm on the 26th of August 1883, the explosions became more frequent occurring on the average every 10 minutes. Sailors on a ship, 120 km away from the island reported a black cloud of smoke rising above the volcano. At the time the rim of Krakatoa's crater was approximately 1,000 meters in diameter and had and average depth of 50 meters. The volcano' s central vent was blocked by a plug of solid lava and underneath it pressure was rapidly building up.
The Great Eruption:
The renewed activity in May 1883 culminated in four gigantic explosions on August 26 and 27 of the same year. On the afternoon of August 26, 1883, (27 August local date) at 17: 07 Greenwich time (GMT), the first of these four violent explosions begun. A black cloud of ash was initially observed. It rose 17 miles (27 kilometers) above Krakatoa. In the morning of the next day, on August 27, 1883, at 05:30, 06:44 and 10:02 GMT, three more violent eruptions occurred. It was the paroxysmal eruption which occurred at 10:02 which blew away the northern two-thirds of the island. This was the most severe violent volcanic explosion on Earth in modern times. The explosion was followed by the collapse of the unsupported volcanic chambers of Krakatoa forming the huge underwater caldera. It was this explosion and collapse of Krakatoa that generated catastrophic tsunami waves as high as 37 meters. (120 ft.) that caused havoc and destruction in the Sunda Strait."
Well as you can see from the initial early 1883 Krakatoa region "large earthquake" a series of events unfolded that culminated in a massive explosion at Krakatoa and a huge tsunamis on August 27th 1883. Thus it took about 7 months for the Krakatoa incident to fully develop. Krakatoa also had a huge loss of life - if repeated today the loss of life could be MUCH higher.
It is early days yet BUT I do not believe that the danger from this Boxing Day Sumatra event has passed. The locality off NW Sumatra has now demonstrated unprecidented seismic instability over a duration of several days and the region has a VERY VIOLENT and well documented quake-tsunamis-volcanic erruption history. Whatever precipitated this disasterous event it is highly unlikely that it is over and therefore danger remains.
Keep your wits about you since yet more massive quakes and/or explosive volcanic erruptions and tsunamis may well occur over the next few months (or year(s)) - NB these may NOT be limited to the Indian Ocean region.
The world chart of real time earthquakes seems
By Andy Geller
New York Post
12-28-4
Because of Sunday's gargantuan quake, planet Earth is ringing like a church bell.
You can't hear it, but it's being measured at seismic stations around the world, including Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, N.Y.
It will last for three days, perhaps longer.
The quake, which measured 9.0 on the Richter scale, was caused by the shifting of geological plates along a 600-mile area.
This changed the Earth's mass.
As the mass returns to normal, it moves back and forth, much like a church bell when struck by a tong, said Stony Brook geophysicist Teng-fong Wong.
The phenomenon was observed after the 9.5-magnitude quake in Chile in 1960 and the 9.2 magnitude temblor in Alaska in 1964.
After both quakes, the ringing lasted for three days, getting smaller every day.
The ringing now should last about that long and there's no need to worry.
Scientists say it's harmless. "Everything will calm down. We don't have any reason to be scared," said Constantin Cranganu, a geophysics prof at Brooklyn College.
Of far greater concern is the strong possibility of aftershocks as the geological plates adjust.
These could measure 6.0 to 7.0 on the Richter scale, the size of many earthquakes, and so could cause additional damage, said Lamont-Doherty seismologist Art Lerner-Lam.
He said, however, that it's unlikely the tremors will trigger the tsunamis, or killer waves, that caused most of the death and destruction in Sunday's quake.
Lerner-Lam said the aftershocks could last for months, although their size and frequency will die down.
The quake caused a shift in the Earth's rotation, as the change in the planet's mass altered the effect of the pull of gravity on the Earth.
But not to worry. The same thing happens in the summer and winter. It's harmless and it shouldn't last long.
A tsunami last crossed the Indian Ocean in 1509. Scientists had not expected anything close to the quake and killer waves that struck Sunday because 90 percent of tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean, where there are warning systems.
Copyright 2004 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/37340.htm
=========================
Was the Christmas/Boxing Day 2004 Earthquake-Tsunami Event Caused by Seismic (Tectonic) Warfare?
READ FULL ARTICLE AT:
http://www.ecologynews.com/ecologynews103.html
==========================
Project INTAS 99-064
Final Report: May, 2000 ? May, 2002
Co-ordinator: Valerio De Rubeis
Address: Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Via di Vigna Murata, 605, I-00143, Roma, Italy
Phone: +39 0651860215?
Fax:???? +39 065041303
e-mail: derubeis@ingv.it
Summary of the obtained results:
The seismic, tectonic and geologic data in northern Tien Shan and Pamir were refined. The data on the influence of the firing runs of pulsed MHD generators, underground nuclear explosions, magnetic storms on seismicity were gathered. The records of temporal variation of potential geophysical triggers were compiled. The statistical analysis of the above data sets was performed to establish possible cause-effect relationships between seismicity and the various potential triggers. The spatio-temporal and energetic characteristics of induced seismicity and its relationship with the natural and technogenic triggering processes under study were investigated, and databases of temporal variation of the various geophysical fields ? potential triggers were created. The results of this study shows that the action of high energy electromagnetic pulses radiated by MHD generators causes substantial changes in the seismicity of earthquake source zones by accelerating the release of energy stored in the crust due to the activity natural tectonic processes in the form of comparatively small seismic events. Based on the consideration of energy balance to be preserved in the crust, it can be conjectured that a man-induced increase in the ratio of seismic energy radiated in the form of small earthquakes leads to an additional release of tectonic stresses, thereby diminishing the likelihood of catastrophic events (or at any rate, reduces the energy of such events). The high efficiency of electromagnetic excitation suggests the conclusion that the effect discussed can be used in development of the earthquake prevention techniques.
The experimental study of electric impact on the stressed rock specimen showed that at all stages of deformation an acoustic emission (AE) in the periods of electrical excitation was by 2 – 5% higher than at the phases of natural activity. The transmission of impulses of amplitude of the order of 3 kV caused short-term increase of AE by 10 – 15% as compared to the level of natural activity. A sharp decrease of activity was noted then within 2 – 3 seconds. The main conclusion from our first laboratory experiments could be stated as following: increasing of acoustic emission (AE) activity of loaded samples was found as result of triggering effect produced by electric pulses. The nature of the phenomena is remained not yet clear, although there are some reasons to assume trigger mechanism for AE initiating.
An hypothesis is proposed on physical nature of the EM impact on the seismicity regime. A phenomenological model is proposed of interaction between electromagnetic and seismic fields. The model includes electrokinetics as a dominant mechanism of energy conversion from electromagnetic into acoustic (seismic) form. Thus, as the medium is pored and fluid saturated, double electric layers are assumed to play the most significant role. All the media may be considered to be composed of sequence of the double electric layers, and electromagnetic impact produces variation of dielectric permittivity and thus variations in intra-pore stresses.
The laboratory experiments carried out by Georgian group were aimed to reproduce on the small scale the impact on mechanical stability of strong EM pulses that was discovered in the field experiments. It has been shown that: 1. strong EM pulses applied to the mechanical system (rock sample on the inclined surface) driven close to the critical state, initiate slip with some probability or hampers it depending on the mutual orientation of electrical field and slip surface; 2. weak (relative to the pulling force) periodical force of mechanical or EM origin applied to the sample pulled with constant speed on the horizontal surface invokes quite different regimes of slip depending on the amplitude and the frequency of applied perturbations. The regimes of slip vary from the perfect synchronization (control) of slip events with the perturbing periodical mechanical or EM impact to the complete desynchronization of these phenomena. The elementary theory of slip EM enhancement/hampering, similar to pore pressure approach in shear fracture is suggested.
Besides experiments, non linear analysis methods were applied to the sequences of interevent times of earthquakes of Bishkek region for three periods: before, during and after MHD experiments. It is shown that strong EM discharges lead to the significant increase of regularity in earthquakes temporal distribution.
In the Work Programme (WP), the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) and Institute of Engineering Seismology and Earthquake Engineering (ITSAK) undertook to analyze the effect of the MHD discharges on the region?s seismicity (evolution in space, in time and energy distribution). The work was carried out jointly by INGV and ITSAK, with application of a jointly developed multifractal formalism.
Results show that, although the seismicity of the study region exhibits multifractal patterns both in space and in time, the stronger multifractality of the catalog corresponding to the period of the MHD runs is due to the spatio-temporal clustering of the aftershocks of a strong (m=6.28) event. Upon removal of this sequence, the three catalogs (before, during and after the MHD tests) show similar multifractal behaviour. On the other hand, seismic energy release is monofractal and unaffected by the electromagnetic discharges. All in all, our results imply that the EM discharges had a negligible (difficult to detect) effect on the spatio-temporal and energetic evolution of seismicity in the study region, as characterized by its multifractal structure. Nevertheless it should be noted that seismic catalogue of the region covering periods without EM discharges had strong events too. Corresponding sequences did not show the strong multifractal character of the main sequence during EM experiment in time and space domain. An open question can be formulated: did EM discharges affect the dynamics of the main sequence?
Impact of the results:
The results obtained may be potentially applied in any statistical processing of various natural and technogenic events. Especially useful are databases collected: refined catalogues of various natural (earthquakes, magnetic storms, earth tides) and technogenic (nuclear explosions, MHD generator runs) events. The high efficiency of electromagnetic excitation suggests the conclusion that the effect discovered can be used in a development of the technology of release of tectonic stresses in the Earth crust for the earthquake hazard mitigation.
http://www.ingv.it/ing/ing712/INTAS99www/r...finalreport.htm
==================
Tsunami death toll hits 144,000
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0...3%255E2,00.html
THE RAPTURE? 144,000 suddenly 'dispappear, are 'swept' away...
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=144000+rapture&meta=
Magnitude 9.0 - SUMATRA-ANDAMAN ISLANDS EARTHQUAKE
OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
2004 December 26 00:58:53 UTC
=====================================
Magnitude 9.0
Date-Time Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 00:58:53 (UTC)
= Coordinated Universal Time
Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 7:58:53 AM
= local time at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 3.316°N, 95.854°E
Depth 30 km (18.6 miles) set by location program
Region OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
Distances
250 km (155 miles) SSE of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
310 km (195 miles) W of Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia
1260 km (780 miles) SSW of BANGKOK, Thailand
1605 km (990 miles) NW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 5.6 km (3.5 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters Nst=276, Nph=276, Dmin=654.9 km, Rmss=1.04 sec, Gp= 29°,
M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=U
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/
Sumatra Continuing Seismic
Noise - Danger Continues
From Harry Mason
orbitx@bigpond.com
1-1-5
Dear Jeff,
Re: SUMATRA BOXING DAY SEISMIC EVENT
I note that all seismic info web sites are showing large (6.0-5.0 richter scale) quakes continuing every couple of hours along the Andaman-Sumatra fault line. These have been occurring ever since Boxing Day (26-12-04) right up until today (1-01-05). The continuing quakes demonstrate VERY "noisy" high energy background seismograph records when viewed on seismograms collected from seismic stations located within a few thousand kilometers of the original 9.0 richter event. This may indicate continued high frequency micro-quakes of the type associated with volcanic intrusion in the upper crust - on a massive scale - along the Andaman-Sumatra island arc zone.
The IRIS and USGS web sites show the spread of recent quakes running along some 1000km of fault line from the Andamans to NW Sumatra. But the European Seismic Centre at http://www.emsc-csem.org/ has been re-calculating the many quake epi-centres and their work suggests these quakes are (mostly) clustering around the same point - off NW Sumatra.
Given the violent off-scale nature of seismograms over the last few days it is difficult to generate either precise richter level info OR precise Lat-Long co-ordinates for specific events. In fact the noise level on many seismograms suggest this has been and is a nearly continuous energy event with regular high energy peaks every few hours. This may indicate that igneous intrusive action is occurring here on a massive scale deep within the crust associated with continual faulting movement along the proto island arc???
A long dormant Andaman volcano has begun to errupt over the last few days and an Indian Government geologist has said that this erruption is nothing to be concerned about. Many volcanoes along the Andaman-Sumatran arc are of a highly explosive type - but I am unfamiliar with the specific newly errupting volcano type.
If you read the information below (taken from Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis site re the 1883 explosion of Krakatoa you might wish to contest the statement that "there is nothing to be concerned about" !!!
You should note that some 1000 years previously an exploding proto Krakatoa was literally the cause of the "DARK AGES" !!! But more recently, in 1883, it began all over again as follows :
"After a long period of inactivity (about 200 years), Krakatoa became active again in early 1883. The first indication that something was happening on Krakatoa was when a large earthquake struck the area. Seismic activity became stronger until May 20,1883, when the volcano abruptly came to life. The initial explosive eruptions of Krakatoa could be heard 160 km away. Steam and ash could be seen rising 11km above the summit of the volcano. By August 11, 1883. three vents were actively erupting. Eleven other vents were ejecting smaller quantities of steam, ash and dust.
Around 1 pm on the 26th of August 1883, the explosions became more frequent occurring on the average every 10 minutes. Sailors on a ship, 120 km away from the island reported a black cloud of smoke rising above the volcano. At the time the rim of Krakatoa's crater was approximately 1,000 meters in diameter and had and average depth of 50 meters. The volcano' s central vent was blocked by a plug of solid lava and underneath it pressure was rapidly building up.
The Great Eruption:
The renewed activity in May 1883 culminated in four gigantic explosions on August 26 and 27 of the same year. On the afternoon of August 26, 1883, (27 August local date) at 17: 07 Greenwich time (GMT), the first of these four violent explosions begun. A black cloud of ash was initially observed. It rose 17 miles (27 kilometers) above Krakatoa. In the morning of the next day, on August 27, 1883, at 05:30, 06:44 and 10:02 GMT, three more violent eruptions occurred. It was the paroxysmal eruption which occurred at 10:02 which blew away the northern two-thirds of the island. This was the most severe violent volcanic explosion on Earth in modern times. The explosion was followed by the collapse of the unsupported volcanic chambers of Krakatoa forming the huge underwater caldera. It was this explosion and collapse of Krakatoa that generated catastrophic tsunami waves as high as 37 meters. (120 ft.) that caused havoc and destruction in the Sunda Strait."
Well as you can see from the initial early 1883 Krakatoa region "large earthquake" a series of events unfolded that culminated in a massive explosion at Krakatoa and a huge tsunamis on August 27th 1883. Thus it took about 7 months for the Krakatoa incident to fully develop. Krakatoa also had a huge loss of life - if repeated today the loss of life could be MUCH higher.
It is early days yet BUT I do not believe that the danger from this Boxing Day Sumatra event has passed. The locality off NW Sumatra has now demonstrated unprecidented seismic instability over a duration of several days and the region has a VERY VIOLENT and well documented quake-tsunamis-volcanic erruption history. Whatever precipitated this disasterous event it is highly unlikely that it is over and therefore danger remains.
Keep your wits about you since yet more massive quakes and/or explosive volcanic erruptions and tsunamis may well occur over the next few months (or year(s)) - NB these may NOT be limited to the Indian Ocean region.
The world chart of real time earthquakes seems
Main Page - Wednesday, 01/05/05
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