Comprised of over 17,000 islands, Indonesia is no stranger to earthquakes. Since January 4th 2009, it has experienced them on eight separate occasions, with its lowest magnitude being the Sumatra Earthquake of 6.7 near Siberut, Mentawai Islands.
October 2010 and the trend continues. Mother Nature flexed her muscles and the earth shook. The Mentawi Islands off western Sumatra were on the receiving end, pummelled once again by Gaia. A magnitude 7.7 underwater quake created a 10-foot-tall tsunami, killing hundreds and displacing thousands. Even if the early warning system had been in operation, it would have made little difference. A tsunami that strikes just 13 miles beneath the ocean floor and is followed by at least 14 aftershocks leaves you with no time.
So, what explains this latest display of violent seismic activity?
According to National Geographic, the earthquake was caused by plate movements in the area known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, a highly volatile region which circles the Pacific Ocean. Around 80% of the world’s earthquakes occur around this rim. When the build up of stress at the plate boundary causes rock to fracture, the plates grind past each other and release energy in the form of an earthquake. The October earthquake occurred in the Sumatra Subduction Zone which is an area where the Australian and Sunda (Eurasian) plates collide – one of the most active areas for plate movement.
Cursed by the misfortune of geography, Indonesia looks set to fall further into this Ring of Fire.
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