Earthquakes today MAPPED: STRONG magnitude 5.4 earthquake hits Indonesia
INDONESIA has been hit by a major magnitude-5.4 earthquake today, triggering strong tremors with the potential to affect thousands of people.
Indonesia: Magnitude 6.1 earthquake hits near Sumatra
The Pacific Ring of Fire has been teeming with activity today, with some 36 earthquakes triggered around the world. The area - which spans the Pacific Ocean and surrounding continents - is home to 70 percent of the World’s seismic activity. Normally, earthquakes surge up in small magnitude 2 and 3 events, which are rarely of any concern. Indonesia has seen activity today, however, which could be deadly.
Indonesia was today hit by a magnitude-5.4 earthquake emanating from West Sumatra.
Residents will have felt tremors, as the earthquake shook the country from a depth of 6 miles.
This is a particularly shallow earthquake, meaning the effects could be felt on the surface.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) - which recorded the earthquake - urged people to check for a tsunami warning but there was no sign of further danger.
However, the USGS did say there was a chance some people could die as a result of the tremors.
The USGS has a ’pager’ which measures the impact of earthquakes when they take place and assigns the possibility of economic damage and fatalities.
Currently, the USGS has given a 65 percent chance one person could die and a 30 percent chance 10 people could die.
Economically speaking, Indonesia has a 65 percent chance of losing £750,000 ($1 million) and a 30 percent chance of losing £7.5 million ($10 million).
Some 17,000 people felt the effects of the earthquake at a ‘strong’ level VI (six).
Nearly 5.5 million people live in the region.
The estimations from the pager are made using information from the nearby area, including where people live and how many are living there.
According to the USGS buildings in Indonesia are particularly vulnerable to tremors.
The USGS wrote: “Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist.
“The predominant vulnerable building types are unreinforced brick with concrete floor and precast concrete frame with wall construction.”
Indonesia is no stranger to earthquakes, and as a result, there are possible secondary effects.
Hazards include landslides, which the USGS says could contribute to losses.