Biggest earthquake in 40 years hits Southeast Asia

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Dissident


and the U.N. is already calling the U.S. stingy about its relief efforts.

"Here, take $400,000. I'm sure it'll be more than enough for you to pay for whatever damanges occured in Eendunkneejuh. Whereever that is. "

[Drake Tungsten]

I'll never forgive Bush for this. This could've been prevented, if only Kerry had been elected...

[Dis]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


Compared to the Aussies and the EU, no doubt.

but we have a bigger national debt .

[Dis]

Originally posted by Comrade Tassadar


"Here, take $400,000. I'm sure it'll be more than enough for you to pay for whatever damanges occured in Eendunkneejuh. Whereever that is. "

I believe it was 40 million. that's still a drop in the bucket.

We'd have to send 20 billion or so to cover all this.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Dissident

We'd have to send 20 billion or so to cover all this.

And that'd mean what, a dozen less planes for the military?

[Dis]

Originally posted by General Ludd


And that'd mean what, a dozen less planes for the military?

a dozen?

you have no clue how much money the U.S. has do you? Or how much planes cost.

how is it our obligation to send a majority of the money?

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by General Ludd


And that'd mean what, a dozen less planes for the military?

how is it our obligation to send a majority of the money?

I'm really hoping this is a joke.

[Dis]

Originally posted by Comrade Tassadar

how is it our obligation to send a majority of the money?

I'm really hoping this is a joke.

you're right, we should send them nothing. that's what charities are for.

we have schools falling apart and children starving in the streets in the U.S. Surely the money should be spent there.

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Dissident


you're right, we should send them nothing. that's what charities are for.

we have schools falling apart and children starving in the streets in the U.S. Surely the money should be spent there.

How about taking some of that 11 trillion you get and spending it on both?

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Sirotnikov
When I see it on TV I want to buy a plane ticket and fly out to help somehow.

I don't know if I'll be useful, but I bet I can organize administrative stuff, and perhaps carry stuff or something.

Virtuous impulse; but not a good idea. They have tons of people there already and don't need anymore mouths to feed.

What they need are things like food, medicine, blankets, tents, drinking water and clothes. Contact your local international charities and find out how you can help collect and ship these things.

[Berzerker]

I can understand why tsunamis are big, but can anyonne explain to me why there are so blasted fast?? They move at the speed of a commercial jet liner!!

The water, on a geological or planetary scale, isn't moving, energy is moving. Its like snapping a rubber band. Water merely slows the shockwaves more than rock, and when you think of how massive the amount of water being pushed is and the energy of the snap, its rather amazing how little "sloshing" there is. That's how I think of it anyway...

The NYT article said the Indian plate to the west and south is moving in a NE direction and sliding under the much smaller Burma plate. This friction is why Sumatra and those islands exist, unfortunately there can be a hefty price living along the rim of fire. But it was interesting to see how this very large quake may have triggered another large quake far to the north at the end of the Burma plate. I've long suspected some seismic events were related.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by GePap


Had not been mentioned yet, yet it was what, last year?

Was mentioned, but not by the name "Bam"...

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


v = f*lamda

v - velocity
f - frequency
lamda - wavelength

Since tunami waves can have wavelengths up to several hundred miles , they can go blazingly fast.

This is a ridiculous explanation.

[Nubclear]

I don't suppose theres a casualty list or anysuch released for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands....
I have relatives who were vacationing there...My other relatives who permanently live in India are avoiding my phonecalls and become cold at the mention of this subject....Normally they can't stop calling me and talking with me, but....
And casualty estimates are varying wildly...3000 to 30000...Some of the islands are underwater, the airport is destroyed, the airforce base has sustained major damagen...

I'm fearing that there is an alarmingly high chance that they could be dead

[Kuciwalker]

Yes, common sense would have the frequency decrease inversely with the wavelength, and the velocity hold constant.

(Obviously that's not true.)