The December 2004 Sumatra earthquake, measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, resulted from the longest fault rupture ever recorded, spanning 720 to 780 miles over a duration of 10 minutes. This seismic event caused ground movement of at least 0.4 inches globally and displaced enough water to raise sea levels by 0.004 inches. Researchers led by Jeffrey Park from Yale University confirmed that the quake caused the Earth to oscillate like a bell for approximately 17 minutes, a phenomenon that persisted for weeks. This event has raised concerns about the potential awakening of the Toba supervolcano due to its proximity to the tectonic activity.
PREREQUISITESGeologists, seismologists, environmental scientists, and anyone interested in understanding the implications of major earthquakes on Earth's geology and climate.
The most interesting is the last - the Earth rang like a bell for weeks?!Ground movement of at least 0.4 inch occurred everywhere [on earth]
The quake resulted from the longest fault rupture ever observed — 720 miles to 780 miles, which spread for 10 minutes. A typical earthquake lasts for 30 seconds.
The quake occurred where two of the giant plates that form the surface of the Earth grind together.
At that spot, the Eurasian plate was being pulled downward by the descending Indo-Australian plate. The quake released the edge of the Eurasian plate, which sprang up, lifting the ocean floor and sending the sea water off in the giant wave, the researchers reported.
They said the higher sea floor displaced so much water from the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea that sea level worldwide was raised by 0.004 inch.
In Sri Lanka, more than 1,000 miles from the epicenter, the ground moved nearly 4 inches.
The temblor also "delivered a blow to our planet" that was felt for weeks, according to a team of researchers led by Jeffrey Park of Yale University.
His group calculated that the quake caused the planet to oscillate like a bell, at periods of about 17 minutes, which scientists were able to measure for weeks afterward. A similar phenomenon was first noted in a 1960 quake in Chile.