World
Earth Still Ringing Two Weeks After Tsunami
By D.L. McCracken
Jan 9, 2005, 10:48

Two weeks after the Boxing Day tsunami in southern Asia, Australian scientists report that the earth continues to "ring like a bell" which has been forcefully struck.

Dr. Herb McQueen, speaking from the Australian National University's Earth Sciences Research School in Canberra said, "I've never seen the earth ringing this long after an earthquake."

McQueen went on to explain that the phenomenon is considered a rare seismic event which could reverberate for another few weeks although the earlier signals recorded immediately after the event were much stronger.

Australian seismologist Mark Leonard said scientists are still in the early stages of analysing data collected during what is now being referred to as the Sumatra Event.

Meanwhile in Vienna the data centre which monitors compliance with the UN's Nuclear Test Ban Treaty continue to detect aftershocks and estimates at least 1500 have been recorded so far.

Immediately after the earthquake it was reported by geophysicists in the United States that the severity of the event made the Earth wobble on its axis and caused some of the smaller islands in the area to move up to 20 metres.

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