Tuesday, June 19, 2007


Study results of Java tsunami killed 600 persons | Huliq: Breaking News: "Study results of Java tsunami killed 600 persons

Though categorized as magnitude 7.8, the earthquake could scarcely be felt by beachgoers that afternoon. A low tide and wind-driven waves disguised the signs of receding water, so when the tsunami struck, it caught even lifeguards by surprise. That contributed to the death toll of more than 600 persons in Java, Indonesia.

“The general assumption was that if you were near the coast where the earthquake took place, you would feel it and be able to run to higher ground,” said Hermann Fritz, first author of a new Geophysical Research Letters paper about the July 17, 2006 tsunami. “This event caught people by surprise and showed that it’s not always that simple.”"

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