The Sunda megathrust : past, present and future
After lying dormant for about a thousand years, sudden slippage of a 1600-km long section of the Sunda megathrust fault caused uplift of the seafloor between Aceh and Myanmar, resulting in a great earthquake and the horrific Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. Three months later and just to the s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2012
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/94170 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/8663 |
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| Institution: | Nanyang Technological University |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | After lying dormant for about a thousand years, sudden slippage of a 1600-km long
section of the Sunda megathrust fault caused uplift of the seafloor between Aceh and
Myanmar, resulting in a great earthquake and the horrific Indian Ocean tsunami of
2004. Three months later and just to the south, sudden slippage of a 350-km length
of the megathrust beneath Simeulue and Nias islands caused another destructive great
earthquake and lesser tsunami. Because it takes centuries for tectonic strains to build up
again after such big earthquakes, these two events are unlikely to recur within the next
hundred years. Farther south, however, offshore West Sumatra and Bengkulu provinces,
another great earthquake and tsunami will likely occur within the next few decades.
We are trying to characterize that future earthquake and tsunami, to encourage and to
focus preparations for and mitigation of the coming disaster. Similar efforts need to be
initiated throughout much of south and southeast Asia, if the disastrous effects of future
large earthquakes and tsunamis are to be mitigated. |
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