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Earthquake Summary
Earthquake Summary Poster
The following is a release by the United States Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center: An earthquake occurred IN THE KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA, about 185 km (115 miles) SSE of Padang, Sumatra or about 755 km (470 miles) WNW of JAKARTA, Java at 5:49 PM MDT, Sep 12, 2007 (Sep 13 at 6:49 AM local time in Indonesia). The magnitude and location may be revised when additional data and further analysis results are available. Earthquakes of this type sometimes cause tsunamis, however the USGS has no information that an actual tsunami has been generated. For information about tsunamis, contact the NOAA Tsunami Warning Centers at http://tsunami.gov.
Felt Reports
Casualties and damage are included with the event at 11:10 UTC. Felt (VI) at Padang and (IV) at Aceh Singkil and Sibolga.
Tectonic Summary
The magnitude 8.4 and 7.8 southern Sumatra earthquakes of September 12, 2007 occurred as the result of thrust faulting on the boundary between the Australia and Sunda plates. At the location of these earthquakes, the Australia plate moves northeast with respect to the Sunda plate at a velocity of about 60 mm/year. The direction of relative plate motion is oblique to the orientation of the plate boundary offshore of the west coast of Sumatra. The component of plate-motion perpendicular to the boundary is accommodated by thrust faulting on the offshore plate-boundary. Much of the component of plate motion parallel to the plate boundary is accommodated by strike-skip faulting on the Sumatra fault, which is inland on Sumatra proper.
The magnitude 8.4 earthquake of September 12, 2007 is the fourth earthquake of magnitude greater than 7.9 to have occurred in the past decade on or near the plate boundaries offshore of western Sumatra. This earthquake occurred just north of the source region of the magnitude 7.9 earthquake on June 4, 2000. The September 12, 2007 magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred about 225 km northwest of the magnitude 8.4 earthquake at the northern end of the aftershock zone. These two earthquakes and their aftershocks overlay the southern portion of the estimated 1833 rupture zone, which extends from approximately Eggano Island to the northern portion of Siberut Island. The great magnitude 9.1 earthquake of December 26, 2004, which produced the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of that date, ruptured much of the boundary separating the India plate and the Burma plate. Immediately to the south of the great 2004 earthquake, the magnitude 8.6 Nias Island earthquake of March 28, 2005, ruptured a segment of the plate boundary separating the Australia and Sunda plates. Since the December 26, 2004 earthquake, much of the Sunda trench between the northern Andaman Islands to Eggano Island, a distance of more than 2,000 km, has ruptured in a series of large subduction zone earthquakes.
Tectonic Summary PDF
Modern Ruptures PDF
Earthquake Information for Asia
Earthquake Information for Indonesia
Tsunami Information
Localización del terremoto.


De acuerdo al United States Geological Survey (USGS), un terremoto de 7,8 grados en la escala de Richter sacudió Indonesia a las 6:49 a.m. (hora local, 23:49 GMT). El epicentro del terremoto se localizó 185 kilómetro (115 millas) al sud-sudeste de Padang, Sumatra, con una profundidad de 10 km (6,2 millas).

Hace pocas horas, el 12 de septiembre, otro terremoto de 8,4 grados había sacudido la región matando a 6 e hiriendo cientos.

Varios post-temblores ocurrieron luego en el área, siendo el último de 7,1 grados con una profundidad de 10 km. Se reportó que había habido un post-temblor de 7,3.

La National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) había declarado una alerta de tsunammi diciendo que el sismo tenía el potencial de "generar un tsunami destructivo local y a veces tsunamis destructores regionales en las costas localizadas a no más de mil kilómetros del epicentro del sismo", pero luego fue desechada ya que se reportó que no se habían originado tsunamis. Australia había sido incluida en la advertencia.

Un aviso fue enviado para el post-temblor de 6,5 grados diciendo que no había "una amenazada amplia de tsunami basada en los datos históricos del terremoto".

No se han declarado heridos, muertos o daños, pero la USGS declara que el daño podría ser de "moderado a grave". El sismo se sintió en Singapur donde se reportó los edificios que temblaron.