Recent Tectonic Activity
On December 26, 2004, a large portion of the boundary between the Burma Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate slipped, causing the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. This megathrust earthquake had a magnitude estimated by researchers to be between Mw9.0 and Mw9.3. Over 1600 km of the boundary underwent thrust faulting and shifted up to 5 meters vertically and 11 meters horizontally. This rise in the sea floor over such a short time (seven minutes) generated a massive tsunami that killed approximately 229,800 people along the coast of the Indian Ocean.
Read more about this topic: Burma Plate
Famous quotes containing the word activity:
“The mob is man voluntarily descending to the nature of the beast. Its fit hour of activity is night. Its actions are insane like its whole constitution. It persecutes a principle; it would whip a right; it would tar and feather justice, by inflicting fire and outrage upon the houses and persons of those who have these. It resembles the prank of boys, who run with fire-engines to put out the ruddy aurora streaming to the stars.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)