Do transform fault earthquakes cause tsunamis?
Historically, movements along transform boundaries have caused only a fraction of all devastating tsunamis, often by triggering undersea landslides. But as we’ll see in the next page, even strike-slip movements can have a vertical component capable of causing tsunamis.
What kind of fault caused the 2004 tsunami?
inter-plate thrust fault
Details of Tsunami Generation The tsunami from the 2004 M=9.1 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake was primarily caused by vertical displacement of the seafloor, in response to slip on the inter-plate thrust fault (see Tectonics section above).
What caused the Indonesian earthquake and tsunami?
The tsunami was generated when a part of the Krakatau volcano collapsed into the sea and displacing large quantities of water. Based on government reports, more than 1,600 houses were severely damaged or destroyed and more than 600 were medium- or lightly damaged, displacing more than 16,000 people.
What caused the tsunami in Indonesia 2004?
A powerful undersea earthquake that struck off the coast of Sumatra island, Indonesia, set off the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, also known as the Christmas or Boxing Day tsunami, on Sunday morning, Dec. 26, 2004.
Why don t transform boundaries create tsunamis?
The SAF is unlikely to produce tsunamis. This is because it is mostly on land and because it is a transform fault, the motion between plates being largely horizontal. Tsunami’s are produced by vertical motions at an underwater fault and these are almost always associated with subduction zones.
What kind of earthquakes cause tsunamis?
The earthquake must be a shallow marine event that displaces the seafloor. Thrust earthquakes (as opposed to strike slip) are far more likely to generate tsunamis, but small tsunamis have occurred in a few cases from large (i.e., > M8) strike-slip earthquakes.
Can Transform boundaries cause earthquakes?
Transform boundaries typically produce large, shallow-focus earthquakes. Although earthquakes do occur in the central regions of plates, these regions do not usually have large earthquakes.
Can Transform plates cause tsunamis?
Plate boundaries are of three types: convergent, divergent, and transform, and each can cause tsunamis, though convergent boundaries are most often responsible.
What caused the Sumatra Tsunami in 2004?
The tsunami from the 2004 M=9.1 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake was primarily caused by vertical displacement of the seafloor, in response to slip on the inter-plate thrust fault (see Tectonics section above).
What is the focal mechanics of the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake?
A more complete analysis of the focal mechanicsm by Tsai et al. (2005) indicates that oblique motion occurred on the northern part of the fault rupture. When nearly all of an earthquake’s energy is released in a thrust motion, as in the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, a large tsunami is generated.
How do open-ocean tsunamis compare between Sumatra and Sumatra?
Tsunami beaming pattern associated with the 2005 northern Sumatra earthquake. Lighter colors represent higher open-ocean tsunami amplitudes. Another way to compare the open-ocean tsunamis between these two earthquakes is to look at the tsunami wavefield for each earthquake, as shown in the snapshots and animations below.
What type of tectonic plate is Sumatra and Andaman?
Tectonics of Sumatra-Andaman Islands. The December 26, 2004 M=9.1 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake occurred along a tectonic subduction zone in which the India Plate, an oceanic plate, is being subducted beneath the Burma micro-plate, part of the larger Sunda plate.