Earthquake Summary
This is the third largest earthquake in the world since 1900 and is
the largest since the 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska
earthquake. In total, 227,898 people were killed or were missing
and presumed dead and about 1.7 million people were displaced
by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 14 countries in
South Asia and East Africa. (In January 2005, the death toll was
286,000. In April 2005, Indonesia reduced its estimate for the
number missing by over 50,000.) The earthquake was felt (IX) at
Banda Aceh, (VIII) at Meulaboh and (IV) at Medan, Sumatra and (III-V) in parts of Bangladesh,
India, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The tsunami caused more casualties than any
other in recorded history and was recorded nearly world-wide on tide gauges in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
Seiches were observed in India and the United States. Subsidence and landslides were observed in Sumatra. A mud
volcano near Baratang, Andaman Islands became active on December 28 and gas emissions were reported in Arakan,
Myanmar.
Tectonic Summary
Magnitude 9.1 OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 00:58:53 UTC
The devastating earthquake of 26 December 2004 occurred as thrust-faulting on the interface of the India
plate and the Burma plate. In a period of minutes, the faulting released elastic strains that had accumulated for
centuries from ongoing subduction of the India plate beneath the overriding Burma plate. In a broad sense, the
India and Australian plates move toward the north- northeast with respect to the interior of the Eurasia plate
with velocities of about 60 mm/y in the region of the earthquake. In the region of northern Sumatra and the
Nicobar Islands, most of the relative motion of India/Australia and the Eurasia plate is accommodated at the
Sunda trench and within several hundred kilometers to the east of the Sunda trench, on the boundaries of the
Burma plate. The direction in which India/Australia converges toward Eurasia is oblique to the trend of the
Sunda trench. The oblique motion is partitioned into thrust-faulting and strike-slip faulting. The thrust faulting
occurs on the interface between the India plate and the western margin of the Burma plate and involves slip
directed at a large angle to the orientation of the trench. The strike-slip faulting occurs on the eastern boundary
of the Burma plate and involves slip directed approximately parallel to the trench. The 26 December main shock
occurred as the result of thrust faulting on the western Burma-plate boundary, but many strike-slip faulting
aftershocks occurred on the eastern plate boundary.
The width of the earthquake rupture, measured perpendicular to the Sunda trench, is estimated to have been
about 150 kilometers and the maximum displacement on the fault plane about 20 meters. The sea floor
overlying the thrust fault would have been uplifted by several meters as a result of the earthquake. The zone of
aftershocks to the 26 December earthquake is over 1300 km long.
Since 1900, earthquakes similarly sized or larger than the 26 December earthquake have been the magnitude 9.0
1952 Kamchatka earthquake, the magnitude 9.1 1957 Andreanof Islands, Alaska, earthquake, the magnitude 9.5
1960 Chile earthquake, and the magnitude 9.2 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska, earthquake. All of these
earthquakes, like the one on 26 December, were mega-thrust events, occurring where one tectonic plate
subducts beneath another. All produced destructive tsunamis, although deaths and damage from the 26
December tsunami far exceed those caused by tsunamis associated with the earlier earthquakes.
Ancient Geology Myths
Greece
Thales of Miletos (6th century BC) believed an agitation of the great sea, on which the earth floats, produced
earthquakes.
Mexican Vaqueros, California
El Diablo, an Indian god, made a giant rip in the ground so that he and his cohorts did not have to take the
long way around when they wanted to stir up mischief on Earth.
Gabrielino Indians, Southern California
Long ago, Great Spirit made a beautiful land that turtles carried on their backs in lakes and rivers. One day the
turtles began to argue. Three swam east; the other three swam west. The earth shook and cracked. The turtles
could not swim far, because their load was heavy. So they made up. But once in a while, the turtles argue
again. Each time, the earth shakes.
Hindus of India
They believed that eight mighty elephants held up the land. When one of them grew weary, it lowered and
shook its head, causing an earthquake.
Kamchatka, Siberia, Russia
A god named Tuli drove an earth-laden sled pulled by dogs. When the dogs stopped to scratch at fleas, the
earth shook.
Mongolia, China
A gigantic frog which carried the world on its back twitched periodically, producing slight quakes.
Peru
Whenever a god visited the earth to count how many people were there, his footsteps caused earthquakes. To
shorten his task, the people ran out of their houses to shout 'I'm here, I'm here!' (incorporating in their myth,
the wisdom of leaving flimsy houses during an earthquake).
Japan
A giant catfish lived in mud beneath the earth. A prankster, it could be restrained only by Kashima, a god who
protected the people from earthquakes. So long as Kashima kept a mighty magical rock over the catfish, the
earth was still. But when he relaxed, the catfish thrashed about, causing earthquakes.
Modern stories
The Swallowing Earth
People all over the world believe that when an earthquake happens, a chasm may open up along the fault,
and anybody standing over the fault will fall in and be swallowed. This is a myth. Sudden movement along a
fault may create a shallow crevice; however, there is no reliable account of anyone falling to his or her death
in such a crack.
Earthquake Immunity
Some people believe they are protected from a large earthquake because their home is often shaken by small
earthquakes that 'let off steam.' This is not true. A moderate earthquake, of magnitude 5.0, releases only one
thousandth of the energy of a large magnitude 7.0 earthquake. The moderate quakes may actually be
precursors of larger earthquakes.
Astrological considerations
The idea that somehow Mars, Jupiter and Saturn govern the earth's destructive action, and the notion that
earth tides are possible triggers, is gaining popularity. Tides are caused as the rotating Earth is influenced by
the gravitational pull of the moon and sun. Studies do not reveal statically meaningful correlations of
earthquake occurrence with tidal loading.
Source: www.ceri.memphis.edu/public/myths.shtml
Fire Mountains and Earth Shakers: Costa Rica Legends
and Myths
Sunday, March 27th, 2011 | Lou Cheek, TheCostaRicaNews.com
With the impact of the 9.0 Japanese earthquake still reverberating around the world, renewed interests in the
myths and legends about earthquakes and volcanoes have sprung up around the world. In Costa Rica, a land
familiar with both fire mountains and earth shakers, the tales told by ancient tribes who lived in the shadow of
giants such as Arenal and Turrialba have passed down to their descendents and are now told as part of
modern Tico culture.
Earthquake Legends of the Nahua
The Nahua (guatusos) of Guanacaste believed that
Tepeyollotl (heart of the mountains), of their Aztec
ancestors, ruled over earthquakes. Pictured in
drawings and petroglyphs as a fierce jaguar leaping
towards the sun, Tepeyollotl was the perfect
representation of the power and unpredictability of
an earthquake. It’s not hard to imagine such a primal
force emanating from the very heart of the
mountains, springing forth like the mythical jungle
cat to topple the unwary prey.
Cipactli, the giant caiman causing all the earthquakes
The Nahua creation myth of the world of the fifth sun, in which legend tells us is the one we now inhabit, has a
curious relationship to the Japanese legend concerning earthquakes. It is said that Japan rests on the back of a
giant catfish named Namazu and when the catfish turns, earthquakes occur. The Nahua creation story tells
that North and Central America were formed from the back of a giant caiman, Cipactli, that was caught by the
gods and trapped because all the land was on its back. To the ancients, the twisting of Cipactli would explain
the shaking of the land as the caiman tried to escape its fate.
Earthquake Legends of the Chorotegas
The Chorotegas brought their Mayan ancestor’s myths to Nicoya when they left their Mexican homes to
discover paradise. The earthquake legend was simple and frightening: the world was actually shaped like a
square and held at each of the four corners by the Vashakmen (gods) who maintained watch over the number
of people. When the world became overcrowded, the four Vashakmen would merely tip the square and the
excess people would fall off. That tipping is what we call earthquakes. Fortunately, here in Costa Rica, we have
always believed in balance of nature and humankind, so the Vashakmen’s work is limited.
Legend of Poás Volcano
Volcanoes in Costa Rica have their own myths, which are as unique and diverse as these fire mountains
themselves. One of the most beautiful is the legend of how Poás
volcano came to be. This sentinel of the Alajuela area is renowned for
its two crater lakes and stunning views. Long before the Spanish
arrived, the forest surrounding Poás was home to countless birds,
including the Rualdo whose golden song richly compensated for its
rather plain plumage.
This Rualdo became the companion of a beautiful young maiden from
the tribe that lived in the surrounding forest. Fearful of the terrible
fires from the mountain spirit, the elder shaman approached Poás to
see how he could be appeased. The mountain demanded nothing less than the sacrifice of the young maiden
in the cauldron of his boiling fury. The terrified young woman was taken to the edge of the volcano. In spite of
the heat and flames, the Rualdo refused to leave his friend; after all she had saved his life years before. Daring
the rage of the volcano, the bird flew into the maelstrom and begged for the girl’s life. In exchange, Rualdo
offered the one possession he had of value-his golden voice.
The beauty of the song caused even the fiery Poás to weep. Those tears flowed into the crater and became
what we call Botos Lagoon. And as for the Rualdo, it now has beautiful feathers of blue, green, and gold but
will never sing-its silence the price paid for friendship.
Legend of Turrialba Volcano
Turrialba, too, has a myth surrounding its origin. Here a young maiden, Cira, fell in love with a warrior from a
different tribe, which was forbidden. So strong were her feelings that she would leave her village to meet her
lover. Her father, the village chieftain, followed her and discovered the two lovers embracing. Furious, he
called for his archers to slay the pair. At that moment, the forest itself came alive and opened a huge cavern to
hide the young couple. Smoke and steam rose from that spot to mark the love and joining of the two tribes.
And thus, it is said, the Turrialba volcano came to be.
Legend of Irazú Volcano
Near the city of Cartago, Costa Rica, mighty Irazú stands watch over her domain. As the ancients tell, Irazú
(Iztarú) was the favorite daughter of a local leader, Aquitaba. The village where they lived was at war with a
rival leader, Guarco, who wanted to control the entire valley. Desperate and fearing he would lose, Quitaba
took Irazú to the highest peak and offered her in sacrifice to the gods to help him win the battle.
As Guarco’s forces close in, Aquitaba called on the spirit of his daughter to help their people. Immediately the
mountain where she had died exploded in fire and ash and rained destruction down on Guarco’s warriors.
That day, the volcano became known as Irazú-making her unique among her male volcanic counterparts.
The legends of it’s volcanoes and earthquakes add another dimension of wonder and beauty to this land.
Looking at those rockbound giants or feeling the earth move beneath you, it’s easy to remember just why you
came to Costa Rica. The adventure, the beauty, the romance – all there for the taking. Pura Vida one and all!
Hawaiian Myth: Source: http://www.crystalinks.com/volcanomyth.html
"Hawaiian legends tell that eruptions were caused by Pele, the
beautiful but tempestuous Goddess of Volcanoes, during her frequent
moments of anger. Pele was both revered and feared; her immense
power and many adventures figured prominently in ancient Hawaiian
songs and chants. She could cause earthquakes by stamping her feet
and volcanic eruptions and fiery devastations by digging with the
Pa'oe, her magic stick. An oft-told legend describes the long and bitter
quarrel between Pele and her older sister Namakaokahai that led to
the creation of the chain of volcanoes that form the islands.
Kilauea volcano, on the south side of the Island of Hawaii, is one of
the most active on Earth. It sits on the southeasten side of the Big
Island of Hawaii, resting on the flanks of it's larger neighbor volcano
Manua Loa. Kilauea stands just under 4,200 feet tall at it's highest
point. Kilauea is the home to Pele, the volcano goddess of ancient
Hawaiian legends. "
Roman and Greek Myths:
http://www.crystalinks.com/volcanomyth.html
The word 'volcano' comes from the little island of Vulcano in
the Mediterranean Sea off Sicily. Centuries ago, the people
living in this area believed that Vulcano was the chimney of the
forge of Vulcan - the blacksmith of the Roman gods. They
thought that the hot lava fragments and clouds of dust
erupting form Vulcano came from Vulcan's forge as he beat
out thunderbolts for Jupiter, king of the gods, and weapons for
Mars, the god of war. In Roman mythology, Vulcan, the god of
fire, was said to have made tools and weapons for the other
gods in his workshop at Olympus. Throughout history, volcanoes have frequently been identified with Vulcan
and other mythological figures. Scientists now know that the "smoke" from volcanoes, once attributed by
poets to be from Vulcan's forge, is actually volcanic gas naturally released from both active and many inactive
volcanoes. Volcan was Hephaistos - the Greek god of fire and craftsmanship, named Vulcan by the Romans. He
was the son of Zeus and Hera - although some versions of his story state that he had no father, with Hera
bearing him alone in retaliation for Zeus having brought forth Athena - Hephaestus was born lame and ugly,
and his mother Hera hated him on first sight. In one version of the myth, Hera herself, after seeing that he was
born deformed, casts him from Olympus. In another version Zeus hurls him from heaven because he tried to
defend Hera when they were having a quarrel. Upon landing on Lemnos - after falling for a full day Hephaestus brakes his legs and becomes lame. In any case, the sea-goddess Thetis then finds the crippled
infant on the beach, and takes him to her underwater grotto where she raises him with the help of Eurynome,
mother of the Graces. To regain his rightful place among the gods, Hephaestus used a clever ruse. He built a
golden throne and sent it to Hera as a gift. Upon sitting on it, Hera got imprisoned by its golden arms, which
promptly clamped her. To reclaim her freedom Hera had to extract a promise from all the gods that
Hephaestus would be accepted into the Pantheon. Hephaestus became the smith and manufacturer of art,
arms and armor for gods and heroes, using a volcano as his forge. According to the Iliad he is married to
Aglaia, one of the Graces, but in the Odyssey he is said to be married to Aphrodite.
Northwest Native American Myths
http://www.crystalinks.com/volcanomyth.html
"Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest watched eruptions of Mount St. Helens long before the explorers
and settlers came. Early accounts of eruptions were handed down and explained by their legends, contributing
to a rich tradition of oral history and myth.
From the Puyallup Tribes
According to the lore of these tribes, long ago a huge landslide of rocks roared into the Columbia River near
Cascade Locks and eventually formed a natural stone bridge that spanned the river. The bridge came to be
called Tamanawas Bridge, or Bridge of the Gods. In the center
of the arch burned the only fire in the world, so of course the
site was sacred to Native Americans. They came from north,
south, west, and east to get embers for their own fires from the
sacred fire.
A wrinkled old woman, Loowitlatkla ("Lady of Fire,") lived in the
center of the arch, tending the fire. Loowit, as she was called,
was so faithful in her task, and so kind to the Indians who came
for fire, that she was noticed by the great chief Tyee Sahale. He
had a gift he had given to very few others -- among them his
sons Klickitat and Wyeast -- and he decided to offer this gift to
Loowit as well. The gift he bestowed on Loowit was eternal life.
But Loowit wept, because she did not want to live forever as an
old woman.
Sahale could not take back the gift, but he told Loowit he could
grant her one wish. Her wish, to be young and beautiful, was
granted, and the fame of her wondrous beauty spread far and wide.
One day Wyeast came from the land of the Multnomahs in the south to see Loowit. Just as he arrived at
Tamanawas Bridge, his brother Klickitat came thundering down from the north. Both brothers fell in love with
Loowit, but she could not choose between them. Klickitat and Wyeast had a tremendous fight. They burned
villages. Whole forests disappeared in flames.
Sahale watched all of this fury and became very angry. He frowned. He smote Tamanawas Bridge, and it fell in
the river where it still boils in angry protest. He smote the three lovers, too; but, even as he punished them, he
loved them. So, where each lover fell, he raised up a mighty mountain. Because Loowit was beautiful her
mountain (St. Helens) was a symmetrical cone, dazzling white. Wyeast's mountain (Mount Hood) still lifts his
head in pride. Klickitat , for all his rough ways, had a tender heart. As Mount Adams, he bends his head in
sorrow, weeping to see the beautiful maiden Loowit wrapped in snow.
From the Yakima Tribes
Si Yett, meaning woman, is the Yakima Indian name for Mount St. Helens. According to legend, Si Yett was a
beautiful white maiden placed on earth by the Great Spirit to protect the Bridge of the Gods on the Columbia
River from the battling brothers, Mount Adams and Mount Hood.
From the Klickitat Tribes
Klickitat Indians tell of two braves, Pahto, (Mount Adams) and Wyeast (Mount Hood), who fought to win the
affections of an ugly old hag, who had been turned into a beautiful maiden by the Great Spirit.
From the Cowlitz Tribes
Cowlitz Indian legends tell of a time when Mount Rainier had an argument with his two wives, Mount St.
Helens and Mount Adams. Mount St. Helens became jealous, blew her top, and knocked the head off Mount
Rainier. (Cowlitz Indians called Mount St. Helens "Lavelatla," which means "smoking mountain.")"