2000 Sumatra earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 2000 Sumatra earthquake struck at 23:30 local time on June 4, 2000 off the coast of southern Sumatra
, Indonesia
with a magnitude of 7.9 Mw
. The United States Geological Survey
reported 103 fatalities, in addition to 2,174 injured people. Over 730 aftershock
s shocked the area afterwards, one just eleven minutes after the main earthquake.
This was the first and southernmost in a series of very large to great Sumatran earthquakes in the 2000s to rupture almost the entire western part of the Sunda megathrust
, most notably including the 9.1-9.3 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake
, but also the 8.6-8.7 2005 Sumatra earthquake
, and the 7.9-8.5 September 2007 Sumatra earthquakes
.
. The 2000 Sumatra earthquake took place at the southeastern end of the fault segment that ruptured during the 1833
. This group of earthquakes, in addition to the 2005 Sumatra earthquake
, all ruptured along the megathrust that forms the interface between the Australian and Sunda Plate
s. This event was the only one of these earthquakes not to cause a tsunami
.
Extensive damage and landslides populated the Bengkulu
area, with minor injuries and damage on Enggano Island
. In the village worst struck, several hundred structures were reported in ruins. Peter Walker of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva denied the earthquake as the major cause of death, instead blaming disease. "...the actual damage from the earthquake isn't that great; the houses are wooden structures so they don't collapse much. But what he found was an endemic problem of rampant malaria, rampant communicable diseases and levels of mortality and morbidity that are totally unacceptable. That is the disaster, not the earthquake." An aftershock measuring 6.2 struck on June 7.
Pope John Paul II expressed his "sincere sympathy" for those families stricken by the earthquake. He called for a rapid international response to the quake, and said he would keep its victims in his prayers. A Taiwan
ese rescue team was sent to help victims of the tremor, the first from the country to take part in rescue efforts aside from Asia. The United States donated US$ 25,000 instantly to relief organizations, Japan offering a grant of US$ 140,000 and Australia US$ 143,000 in addition to a two-person team of emergency relief examiners.
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
with a magnitude of 7.9 Mw
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
. The United States Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
reported 103 fatalities, in addition to 2,174 injured people. Over 730 aftershock
Aftershock
An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the same area of the main shock. If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock...
s shocked the area afterwards, one just eleven minutes after the main earthquake.
This was the first and southernmost in a series of very large to great Sumatran earthquakes in the 2000s to rupture almost the entire western part of the Sunda megathrust
Sunda megathrust
The Sunda megathrust is a fault that extends approximately 5,500 km from Myanmar in the north, running along the southwestern side of Sumatra, to the south of Java and Bali before terminating near Australia...
, most notably including the 9.1-9.3 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
, but also the 8.6-8.7 2005 Sumatra earthquake
2005 Sumatra earthquake
The 2005 Sumatra earthquake, referred to as the Nias Earthquake by the scientific community, was a major earthquake on 28 March 2005, located off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Approximately 1300 people were killed by the earthquake, mostly on the island of Nias...
, and the 7.9-8.5 September 2007 Sumatra earthquakes
September 2007 Sumatra earthquakes
The September 2007 Sumatra earthquakes were a series of megathrust earthquakes that struck the Java Trench off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, three greater than magnitude 7. A series of tsunami bulletins was issued for the area...
.
Background and tectonics
Indonesia is well known for strong earthquakes: the 2000 Sumatra event marked the beginning of a ongoing period of seismic activity in the area, highlighted by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
. The 2000 Sumatra earthquake took place at the southeastern end of the fault segment that ruptured during the 1833
1833 Sumatra earthquake
The 1833 Sumatra earthquake occurred on November 25, 1833, about 22:00 local time, with an estimated magnitude in the range Mw= 8.8–9.2. It caused a large tsunami that flooded the southwestern coast of the island. There are no reliable records of the loss of life, with the casualties being...
. This group of earthquakes, in addition to the 2005 Sumatra earthquake
2005 Sumatra earthquake
The 2005 Sumatra earthquake, referred to as the Nias Earthquake by the scientific community, was a major earthquake on 28 March 2005, located off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Approximately 1300 people were killed by the earthquake, mostly on the island of Nias...
, all ruptured along the megathrust that forms the interface between the Australian and Sunda Plate
Sunda Plate
The Sunda Plate is the tectonic plate on which the majority of Southeast Asia is located. It was formerly considered a part of the Eurasian Plate, but GPS measurements have confirmed its independent movement at 10 mm/yr eastward relative to Eurasia...
s. This event was the only one of these earthquakes not to cause a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
.
Damage and casualties
The earthquake struck at 23:30 local time, its magnitude reaching a "major" 7.9. Aftershocks began striking as soon as 11 minutes after the earthquake, the first one surpassing magnitude 6.5. At least 103 people were killed by the earthquake, and 2,174 more were left injured. The Indonesian Red Cross later reported that 788 had been injured to concern, and 1,709 more were considered injured—the organization reported that the numbers were rapidly increasing.Extensive damage and landslides populated the Bengkulu
Bengkulu
Bengkulu is a province of Indonesia. It is on the southwest coast of the island of Sumatra, and borders the provinces of West Sumatra, Jambi, South Sumatra and Lampung. The capital and largest city is Bengkulu city. It was formerly the site of a British garrison, which they called Bencoolen...
area, with minor injuries and damage on Enggano Island
Enggano Island
Enggano Island is about 100 km south west of Sumatra, Indonesia. It is about 35 km long from east to west and about 16 km wide from north to south. Its area is 402.6 km², the average elevation is about 100 m and the highest point is 281 m. Politically it is a...
. In the village worst struck, several hundred structures were reported in ruins. Peter Walker of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva denied the earthquake as the major cause of death, instead blaming disease. "...the actual damage from the earthquake isn't that great; the houses are wooden structures so they don't collapse much. But what he found was an endemic problem of rampant malaria, rampant communicable diseases and levels of mortality and morbidity that are totally unacceptable. That is the disaster, not the earthquake." An aftershock measuring 6.2 struck on June 7.
Aftermath and response
Relief efforts were impeded by fallen telephone poles, which blocked the supplies. The main problem found in the affected areas was a lack of water supply and electricity, these facilities having been cut off by oscillation.Pope John Paul II expressed his "sincere sympathy" for those families stricken by the earthquake. He called for a rapid international response to the quake, and said he would keep its victims in his prayers. A Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese rescue team was sent to help victims of the tremor, the first from the country to take part in rescue efforts aside from Asia. The United States donated US$ 25,000 instantly to relief organizations, Japan offering a grant of US$ 140,000 and Australia US$ 143,000 in addition to a two-person team of emergency relief examiners.