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[Macam]

Dramatic new data from the December 26, 2004, Sumatran-Andaman earthquake that generated deadly tsunamis 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 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 (at least 10 minutes)," said Charles Ammon, associate professor of geosciences at Penn State University.

The quake released an amount of energy equal to a 100 gigaton bomb, according to Roger Bilham, professor of geological sciences at the University of Colorado.

And that power lasted longer than any quake ever recorded.

The quake, centered in the Indian Ocean, also created the biggest gash in the Earth's seabed ever observed, nearly 800 miles. That's as long as a drive from northern California into southern Canada.

Scientists estimated the average slippage (ground movement up and down) along the entire length of the fault was at least 5 meters (16.5 feet) -- with some places being moved nearly 20 meters (50 feet).

Scientists have also upgraded the magnitude of the quake from 9.0 to between 9.1 and 9.3, a dramatically more powerful event. As a comparison: the ground shook 100 times harder during December's earthquake than what was felt in the 1989 Loma Prieta quake in California. That 6.9 magnitude quake caused extensive damage from Santa Cruz to San Francisco.

More on the fold...

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/05/19/sumatra.quake/index.html?section=cnn_topstories

 

[jonhuz]

Sad how it has to be a major killing event to bring the world together.
Next meetup: when aliens attack.

 

[Raistlin]

I love how scientifically inept most writers are:

The quake released an amount of energy equal to a 100 gigaton bomb, according to Roger Bilham, professor of geological sciences at the University of Colorado.

This released amount of energy is obviously the TOTAL amount of released energy throughout the entire quake.

The young Einstein then follows it up with:

And that power lasted longer than any quake ever recorded.

Wouldn't it make sense that longest quake known would also release the most total energy? Due to the poor wording of this follow-up statement however, he makes it sound like that energy was being released constantly ... as though 100 gigaton bombs were being dropped every second or so for 10 minutes. Crap, if it wasn't for gravity holding the planet together, it would have broken in half

 

[Drozmight]

I love how scientifically inept most writers are:



This released amount of energy is obviously the TOTAL amount of released energy throughout the entire quake.

The young Einstein then follows it up with:



Wouldn't it make sense that longest quake known would also release the most total energy? Due to the poor wording of this follow-up statement however, he makes it sound like that energy was being released constantly ... as though 100 gigaton bombs were being dropped every second or so for 10 minutes. Crap, if it wasn't for gravity holding the planet together, it would have broken in half

? If he already established what the total power was, why would you think he meant every second?

 

[Acrylamid]

an amount of energy equal to a 100 gigaton bomb

Can someone convert this into thursdaytons?

 

[DarienA]

Can someone convert this into thursdaytons?

I think a gigaton is a million thursdaytons... but don't quote me on that....

 

[LakeEarth]

I think a gigaton is a million thursdaytons... but don't quote me on that....

Mwaaahahaaa....