Scientists surprised by power of Indonesia tsunami
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Such effects have also been seen before. Crescent City, California, has been hit by more 30 tsunamis, including one after the 1964 Alaska quake in which 11 people were killed, because of the contours of the seafloor in the region and the city’s topography and location.
Whatever the genesis of the waves, a 7.5-magnitude quake would not be expected to create an ocean-wide event, but rather a more localised one, as was the case on Friday.
With the tsunami generated so close to Palu, there was little time for people to escape. A tsunami warning was issued by the government and was lifted about half an hour after the quake, apparently after the tsunami hit Palu.
Rescuers check a survivor at restaurant building damaged by a massive earthquakes and tsunami in Palu.
Photo: AP
Indonesia uses only seismographs, global positioning system devices and tide gauges to detect tsunamis, which are of limited effectiveness, said Louise Comfort, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh graduate school. She has been involved in a project to bring new tsunami sensors to Indonesia.
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