Biggest earthquake in 40 years hits Southeast Asia - Part 2

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Sava
Anyone have any reputable links where I can view Tsunami footage?

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=127471

[Dis]

I'm also curious how the wave forms.

Wouldn't a wave go out in all directions?

Why did the wave not go south? or southwest and hit other parts of Africa?

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Dissident
We are lucky in a way because so much of that ring of fire is on land. It seems after this, land earthquakes are much safer than one's out at sea. Imagine if the plates were a few miles off the coast of California instead under the land part of it. No tsunami system would be able to detect it quick enough for sufficient warning.

Shows what you know. The fault line exits California near LA into the ocean. The cheif danger here is that undersea eathquakes could trigger undersea slides, which produce massive, if localized, tsunamis, with no warning.

The reason why such diasters don't seem to befall the U.S. is because we have an extensive early warning system. The Galveston 1905 hurricane killed 5,000 people. If we hadn't evacuated Florida, there could easily have been many thousands of dead this year.

Nor are we immune to sudden disaster. Seattle and Portland could both be obliterated in a moments notice by volcano.

[Drake Tungsten]

I'm also curious how the wave forms.

Wouldn't a wave go out in all directions?

Why did the wave not go south? or southwest and hit other parts of Africa?

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Diss - hurricanes don't do **** because we have adequate protection against them. the destruction in SE asia is partially due to lack of protection against tsunamis.

Which isn't to say hurricanes don't take a toll:

Jeanne (2004) - 3,000 in Haiti
Ivan (2004) - $13B damage in Gulf of Mexico
Charley (2004) - $14B damage to Florida
Mitch (1998) - 11,000 in Haiti
Georges (1998) $6B in US, 533 in Hispanola
Fran (1996) - $3B damage in NC
Andrew (1992) - $26B damage in US
Hugo (1989) - $7B damage in NC and SC
Gilbert (1988) - $5B plus 318 dead
David (1979) - 2,000 in Carribean
Fifi (1974) - 8,000 in Honduras
Inez (1967) - 1,000 in Carribean
Flora (1963) - 7,000 in Haiti and Cuba
Also:
Galveston Hurricane of 1900 - 8,000-12,000 in Texas
Great Hurricane of 1780 - 20,000 in Carribean

The reasons this doesn't happen often today are 1.) adequate buildings, 2.) adequate warnings, 3.) less dense population (specifically places in the Carribean)

Also, we have:

Earthquakes (most caused billions $ damage):
Northridge, CA (1994) - 68 dead
Nicaragua (1992) - 116 dead
Loma Prieta, CA (1989) - 63 dead
Michoacan, Mexico (1984) - 9,500 dead
Guatemala (1976) - 23,000 dead
Peru (1970) - 66,000 dead

Plus the "Storm of the Century", a massive blizzard in 1978 that killed 270 people and affected half the US population in 26 states.

Also, according to experts, a future eruption of the volcano Cumbre Vieja in La Palma in the Canary Islands would make a mass of land that is already sliding collapse into the ocean, creating a tsunami in the Atlantic and causing distruction in Europe and the US that would rival this disaster, taking with it Miami, New York, and Boston, according to analysis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunamis

Let's pray that never happens.

[chequita guevara]

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Dissident
makes you wonder why these types of disasters seem to happen in those parts of the world. Why is it North America has escaped all these disasters?

We're God's chosen people

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Dissident
makes you wonder why these types of disasters seem to happen in those parts of the world. Why is it North America has escaped all these disasters? And don't give me hurricanes. Hurricanes don't do ****. Same with tornados.

We are lucky in a way because so much of that ring of fire is on land. It seems after this, land earthquakes are much safer than one's out at sea. Imagine if the plates were a few miles off the coast of California instead under the land part of it. No tsunami system would be able to detect it quick enough for sufficient warning.

Just wait til the Yellowstone Caldera blows and you'll see just how bad we can have it here.

I was really saddened by all of the people who were looking for missing relatives. For some reason that affects me more than someone who has definitely lost their relatives. I guess because you know that they are being gnawed with uncertainty while someone who has lost a relative is already beginning to deal with it and move on with life.

[FrostyBoy]

That's an interesting image of the waves power and direction.

It's no wonder Sri Lanka was hit so badly.

I'm glad that Singapore didn't get hit, my fiance lives there and Singapore is very flat!!

[lightblue]

The reason it wasn't a circular wave was that the faultline wasn't a point, but rather a long (I've heard 1000km, but can't find anything now) faultline that suddenly all moved. This is what caused those two lines of water heading away from the fault.

As for why the US hasn't had this kind of trouble.. You've been lucky so far, and you probably wouldn't have the same percentage loss of life due to better infrastructure, but try and imagine what a 9.0 strong, 1000km long earthquake would do in California...

[Chemical Ollie]

The official number of missing Swedes is now 3500, according to the Foreign Department. Only 60 have been identified as dead so far. Missing people still show up for the evacuation flights, but the hope to find anyone alive is decreasing.

Tomorrow will be a public day of sorrow in Sweden, and a lot of the public New Year's fireworks will be cancelled tonight. I will celebrate New Years Eve with my family. My kids don't have a clue what happened and I think it should better stay that way. Otherwise they might never go to the beach again.

[Alex]

Could not post in the other thread before it was closed.

What a ****ing terrible catastrophe...

So far, there are 242 brazilians missing, according to an official list from the brazilian government. I think that the actual number is probably very close to this one.

[Ned]

I live about 30-40 feet above the Pacific. That may not be enough if something happens here. I had no idea earthquakes could be so dangerous even though I have been through a couple big ones.

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara

On this simulation, the Wave is bouncing off the coast of India towards Burma and Bangladesh. But it might have lost some power in the process, which could explain why the casualty numbers were so low there. Let's hope the low casulty number in Burma was not a political cover-up after all.

[Kontiki]

From that image you have to wonder how the Maldives even exist any more. I know damage and casualties were very high there, but it looks like they should have been completely obliterated, especially condsidering that there is no high ground.