During the last seven months, the entire Pacific region extending from Peru to Banda Sea has experienced more than 16 major earthquakes.
MUMBAI: India should not be surprised if a major earthquake hits the Indian ocean region in the near future as during the last seven months the entire Pacific region extending from Peru to Banda Sea in the east of Indonesian islands has experienced more than 16 major earthquakes.
Seismologists say since January 13, 2007 till August 18, there were 16 major earthquakes measuring between 6.5 on the Richter scale to the recent Peru earthquake which measured 7.9 on the scale in the region.
Scientific analysis show that there were certain similarities between the tectonic setting of Peru and Sumatra. Peru earthquake occurred along the boundary between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates and the mechanism was found similar to the Sumatra earthquake of December 2004.
The region around Indonesia is very active, triggering several hundreds of earthquakes during the past one year. Some of them occurred ever along the Andaman-Nicobar chain of island, Dr D Chandrasekharam, Department of Earth Sciences Department of Indian Institute of Technology, said.
"The Nazca and South American plates are converging at a rate of 77 mm per year while the Sumatra and Indo-Australian plates are moving at the rate of 60 mm per year. Both the earthquakes occurred due to thrust faulting," he said.
Like Sumatra region, Peru experienced similar destructive earthquakes in the past, with a magnitude of 9.0 in 1868, 7.7 in 1942, 8.1 in 1974 and 7.7 in 1996. The 1868 earthquake generated a destructive tsunami that killed several thousands of people along the coast.
The August 15 Peru earthquake of 7.9 magnitude with almost 51 aftershocks generated tsunami but it was not as strong enough to destroy properties of the countries located along Eastern Pacific region including South and North America, Chandrasekharam said.
While the similar earthquake in Peru during 1868 causing tsunami damaged even Hawaii islands that are situated several thousand kilometers away-- a phenomenon that India experienced on December 26, 2004 by Sumatra earthquake, he said.
The scientist said the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre within minutes after the occurrence of the Peru earthquake gave tsunami warning to all the countries along the Pacific coast but "we are not sure about Indian tsunami warning system," he said.
Chandrasekharam further said Alaska experienced maximum number of earthquakes within this period, with the occurrence of 6.5 magnitude earthquake just before the major Peru's 7.9 magnitude earthquake.
This belt experienced innumerable earthquakes of lesser magnitudes less than 6.5 with in this period.
"This earthquake activity has triggered the Indonesian tectonic regime thereby triggering earthquakes with magnitudes upto 7.4 in Java (August 8 2007) and 6.2 in Banda Sea (August 17)," he added.
The Java earthquake was the largest one that occurred in the recent past with the Indonesian islands. This earthquake focus was deep and hence tsunami could not be generated.
The scientist warned that India must be prepared for a major earthquake in the Indian ocean region in the near future and the country's functional tsunami warning system should be in place soon.
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