Great Indonesian Earthquake 2004 - John Seach Scientific Explanation The great earthquake was the result of released energy from the subduction of the India plate under the Burma plate. The India plate is moving north east at a rate of 6 cm per year relative to the Burma plate. There is oblique convergence at the Sunda trench, which is the region where the India plate begins its descent. The earthquake was produced by megathrust-faulting, which is caused by movement directed perpendicular to the trench.  The location of aftershocks showed that the fault movement occurred over a 1200 km section of the tectonic plate boundary. The average displacement on the fault plane was about fifteen meters. The sea floor overlying the thrust fault was probably uplifted by several meters. Estimates of Rock Displacement During Earthquake Length of rupture - 1000 km. Width of rupture - 100 km. Slip along fault - 15 m. Thickness of fault - 500 m Volume of rock moved - 5x1013 cubic m. Weight of rock moved 1.35x1020 g. Momentum - 5.4x1020 kg/m/sec Kinetic energy - 1.1x1024 Nm Indonesia Earthquake 2004 www.volcanolive.com Copyright John Seach