Vanuatu Earthquake Will Not Cause Tsunami
May 28th, 2010 - 6:22 pm ICT by GDBy Ranjan Bhaduri
May 28, (THAINDIAN NEWS) A strong Earthquake with an intensity of 7.2 on the Richter scale hit Vanuatu, a South Pacific island nation today in the morning. The seismologists suspected that it could trigger a tsunami as is seen with many major earthquakes but later the possibility was ruled out. The US geological survey found out that the quake had hit 2,070 km northeast of Brisbane. As is the case with earthquakes with high magnitude, a series of aftershocks were felt in the region within six hours after the first quake. Despite the severity of the quake no extensive damage to the property has been reported. The aftershocks ranged between 5.0 and 6.4 in terms of intensity. The aftershocks were observed by the seismologists with caution.
The area closest to the quake was uninhabited and that ensured no casualty in the place. In 2009 three strong quakes had hit Vanuatu and each of them had intensity above 7. This triggered a tsunami alert over the South Pacific region. The Meteorological Office of Vanuatu government reported power outages and moderate infrastructure damages after the quake. This year the world has witnessed a number of devastating quakes including the one in Haiti that sent shock waves across the world. The seismologists across the world are keeping tab on the quakes taking place in various places so far.
The earthquakes are caused by several reasons including tectonic plate movements. The experts said later that had the tsunami hit the consequences could have been severe. The quake struck the island around 4 am and it hit at a depth of 36 kms.
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Tags: aftershocks, casualty, caution, earthquake, intensity, magnitude, major earthquakes, meteorological office, pacific island nation, power outages, quake, richter scale, seismologists, severity, shock waves, six hours, strong quakes, tectonic plate movements, tsunami alert, us geological survey