LOADING...

Why Andaman quake didn't trigger tsunami alert

India

A strong 6.7 earthquake shook the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Monday night, but no tsunami warning followed.
Even though this region is known for big quakes, what happened under the surface made all the difference.

How sideways movement prevents tsunami

Tsunamis happen when the ocean floor shifts up or down and pushes lots of water.
This quake mostly caused sideways movement deep underground—so there wasn't enough vertical shift to trigger a tsunami like in 2004.

Preparedness, distance from land also helped

The epicenter was far from densely populated areas, and local teams were well-prepared for emergencies.
Thanks to these factors, there was little damage and no need for panic this time around.