Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake Shook Western Indonesia

A major earthquake shook western Indonesia on Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The magnitude 7.5 quake's epicenter was about 195 miles (315 km),
south-southeast of Banda Aceh, on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the
USGS said on its Web site.

A 2004 earthquake near Banda Aceh
killed hundreds of thousands of people. The Pacific Tsunami Warning
Center in Hawaii issued a local tsunami watch for the area -- normal
protocol in such instances.

It is up to local governments to
issue tsunami warnings. There were no immediate reports of casualties
or damage, according to Indonesian national radio.

The December
26, 2004 earthquake registered 9.0 -- the strongest quake in 40 years
-- and was centered about 100 miles from Banda Aceh.

The 2004
quake caused a tsunami that affected the entire Indian Ocean, leaving
more than 300,000 people dead or still listed as missing, according to
accumulated information from government and health officials, compiled
by the United Nations.

The following is a release by the United States Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center:
 
An earthquake occurred 310 km (195 miles) SSE of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia, 310 km (195 miles) WSW of Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia, 335 km (210 miles) WNW of Sibolga, Sumatra, Indonesia, 1545 km (960 miles) NW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia at 1:08 AM MST, Feb 20, 2008 (3:08 PM local time in Indonesia).

The magnitude and location may be revised when additional data and further analysis results are available.
No reports of damage or casualties have been received at this time; however, this earthquake may have caused damage due to its location and size.


Earthquakes of this type sometimes cause tsunamis, however the USGS has no information that an actual tsunami has been generated.
For information about tsunamis, contact the

NOAA Tsunami Warning Centers at http://tsunami.gov.