WIREDGOV

Powerful earthquake shakes Southern Sumatra, Indonesia

BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY News Release issued by The Government News Network on 12 September 2007

The British Geological Survey has recorded an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 Mw at 11:10 GMT on the 12th of September 2007. Today's earthquake is located near the coast of Southern Sumatra, Indonesia.

Summary:

DATE : 12 September 2007
ORIGIN TIME : 11:10 24 UTC (12:10 BST)
LAT/LONG : 4.37 Degrees South / 101.54 East
DEPTH : 15 km (shallow)
MAGNITUDE : 7.9 Mw
LOCALITY : Southern Sumatra, Indonesia

A tsunami warning has been issued for the region as an earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a tsunami that can strike coastlines throughout the area.

Today's earthquake locates about 100 km south-west of the city of Bengkula. Reports from this area suggest that buildings have been damaged and there has been a loss of power throughout the region. Today's event locates approximately 1,000 km SE of the magnitude 9.2 Mw earthquake that occurred on 26 December 2004, which generated a tsunami, which killed in the region of 300,000 people. Today's earthquake is located approximately 600 km WNW of Jakarta, Indonesia.

The earthquake has been felt in the capital Jakarta, where buildings swayed and has also been felt throughout Singapore and Thailand.

Seismologist Alice Walker of the British Geological Survey said:

"This earthquake has occurred on the well known Indonesian tectonic zone, which generates earthquakes of this size on a regular basis; so it comes as no surprise".

Figure 1. Seismograms of the Southern Sumatra earthquake of 12 September 2007.

Figure 2. Seismicity map of Sumatra (magnitudes 6.5 and greater) since 1900.

NOTES TO EDITOR

* For additional earthquake information go to: http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/

British Geological Survey
The British Geological Survey (BGS), a component body of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), is the nation's principal supplier of objective, impartial and up-to-date geological expertise and information for decision making for governmental, commercial and individual users. The BGS maintains and develops the nation's understanding of its geology to improve policy making, enhance national wealth and reduce risk. It also collaborates with the national and international scientific community in carrying out research in strategic areas, including energy and natural resources, our vulnerability to environmental change and hazards, and our general knowledge of the Earth system. More about the BGS can be found at http://www.bgs.ac.uk.