The Science of Indonesia's Surprise Tsunami - National Geographic

OverviewMaking WavesRelated: Photos of Earthquakes Around the WorldDozens of earthquakes rocked the region, but a tsunami didn't seem imminent. Then the massiOn Friday, a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, just after 5:02 PM Western Indonesian Time. Dramatic videos revealed the eerie growth of a mounting wave in a bay near Palu eventually crashing into the coast, sweeping away beach structures as Scientists were surprised by the strength of the ensuing tsunami. And experts suggest that the The earthquake followed a series of temblors that began around 2:00 PM WIB with a 6.1-magnitude quake. The ground continued to roil with 27 aftershocks that eventually gave way to the intense, shallow 7.5-magnitude temblor centered about 6 miles deep, according to the U.S. 在nationalgeographic上