Scientists warn of impending Indonesia quake
Updated
International scientists are warning that another devastating tsunami is due to hit Indonesia again. Experts say last year's severe earthquake in Padang, Sumatra wasn't the big one they were expecting. Instead they believe it's put more pressure on the faultline, making it highly likely that a tsunami-causing quake will hit the region soon.
Presenter: George Roberts
Speakers: John McCloskey, Environmental Sciences Research Institute, University of Ulster; Professor James Goff, University of New South Wales
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ROBERTS: Indonesia's 2004 Boxing Bay Tsunami is the biggest on record. But now scientists are warning that last year's Padang earthquake, which killed more than 1,000 people, has created conditions for another, potentially more destructive tsunami.
MCCLOSKEY: The populations in the direct line of the tsunami are very much larger than the populations which faced the 2004 Tsunami. So while the tsunami could be significantly smaller than the 2004 tsunami, it could have the same or even greater impact in terms of lives lost.
ROBERTS: Professor John McCloskey from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland, is the lead author of the warning published in the journal, Nature Geoscience. He says they've been expecting a major earthquake at Padang for years but September's quake wasn't the big one they were waiting for. Furthermore, instead of easing pressure between the continental plates; it made things worse.
MCCLOSKEY: So we are really concerned about another large magnitude 8.5 or bigger earthquake in western Sumatra and an earthquake like this will generate a tsunami.
ROBERTS: Australian tsunami expert, Professor James Goff from the University of New South Wales, says most scientists agree.
GOFF: Yeah, it has the potential to kill an awful lot of people and obviously if you have a large earthquake immediately followed by a fairly devastating tsunami, then buildings that have been either structurally damaged or partially destroyed will then be further destroyed and damaged.
ROBERTS: As it's possible to forecast where and how hard the next earthquake will hit, Professor McCloskey says the world should be better prepared.
MCCLOSKEY: Haiti is an awful example - it's an awful disaster. Haiti was on a very active fault. We know the history of this fault, we know around the world there are many places where we can expect large earthquakes, there will be other large earthquakes this year somewhere on the Earth.
ROBERTS: He says it's possible to have teams of doctors and stockpiles of supplies on standby to be deployed to anywhere in the world within 12 hours of a disaster.
MCCLOSKEY: There are plenty of medical doctors and nurses who would gladly volunteer to give their services to such work and we need to organise them.
ROBERTS: But UNSW's Professor Goff says, while that's ideal, there are always difficulties getting help to where it's needed.
