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Asian tsunami quake was second largest

     Washington: Northwestern University seismologists have revealed that the December 26 Sumatra earthquake that triggered the tsunami in South Asian countries was three times larger than originally thought, making it the second largest earthquake ever recorded. The largest ever earthquake, measuring 9.5 on Richter scale, was recorded in Chile on May 22, 1960. Seth Stein and Emile Okal at the Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences analyzed seismograms from the earthquake and found that the earthquake's magnitude was 9.3 and not 9.0, which was only 0.2 less than Chile's earthquake. Seismologists say that the results explain why tsunami was so destructive and also indicate that the chances of similar large Tsunamis occurring in the same area are reduced. "The rupture zone was much larger than previously thought. The initial calculations that it was a 9.0 earthquake did not take into account what we call slow slip, where the fault, delineated by aftershocks, shifted more slowly. The additional energy released by slow slip along the 1,200-kilometer long fault played a key role in generating the devastating tsunami," said Stein. According to Tsunami expert Okal, the large tsunami amplitudes that occurred in India and Sri Lanka, results from rupture on the northern, north-trending segment of the fault. It is noted that the tsunami waves not only ate away coastal areas in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia, but also radically changed the map and earth's speed.

Hurley, Winslet and Madonna join tsunami relief cause (Go To Top)

     London: Kate Winslet, Madonna and other celebrities seem to have joined hands for helping out the victims of the Asian Tsunami, by donating to a clothes auction. According to Ananova, the black dress worn by Kate Winslet for upmarket fashion website clothesagency.com. Other stars include Madonna who has donated a signed studded belt and Tara Palmer- Tomkinson a green and black dress from Top Shop. Liz Hurley, Elle Macpherson and Graham Norton have also offered personal items. The online auction will begin on February 11 and run until March 13, with all money going to tsunami victims in Sri Lanka.

Warne arrives to raise funds for Lanka's tsunami-hit (Go To Top)

     Colombo: Record-breaking Australian leg spinner Shane Warne arrived here on Tuesday to participate in a drive to raise funds for tsunami victims. Warne, who holds the world record for the highest number of wickets, said that he had selected Sri Lanka as the key venue to help the tsunami hit countries because he had achieved some important personal milestones in his cricket career while playing against Sri Lanka.