Sri Lanka - GeoLanka Web Resources Update

Via Email from GeoLanka Web Resources

Update #7 March 28, 2005

The web sites www.recoverlanka.net (RECOVER), www.geolanka.net (GEO)and servesrilanka.blogspot.com (SERVESL) were developed to assist in recovery from the tsunami in Sri Lanka. Here is an emergency update.

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An earthquake measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale has been reported at a location close to the December 26th event. The magnitude of 9.3 is smaller than that due to the last one yet, this is a considerable powerful earthquake. The present update goes out after 3 hours past the occurence of the earthquake at 11.09 pm in Indonesia. Thus far there have been no reports of a Tsunami wave as yet. The threat of a Tsunami for Sri Lanka from this earthquake shall recede in a few hours - yet attention is warranted on after shocks from this event. Thus evacuation to higher ground is wise.

A TSUNAMI WARNING FOR THE INDIAN OCEAN HAS BEEN ISSUED BY PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTRE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 1629Z 28 MAR 2005

An Earthquake Has Occurred With These Preliminary Parameters
Origin Time - 1610z 28 Mar 2005
Coordinates - 2.3 North 97.1 East
Location - Northern Sumatra Indonesia
Magnitude - 8.7

Warning... This earthquake has the potential to generate a widely destructive tsunami in the ocean or seas near the earthquake. Authorities in those regions should be aware of this possibility and take immediate action. This action should include evacuation of coasts within a thousand kilometers of the epicenter and close monitoring to determine the need for evacuation further away.

This center does not have sea level gauges outside the Pacific Ocean so will not be able to detect or measure a tsunami if one was generated. Authorities can assume the danger has passed if no tsunami waves are observed in the region near the epicenter within three hours of the earthquake.