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by Sean Martin
December 16, 2016
from
Express Website
Spanish version
for VIDEO, click above image...
A HUGE tear the size of
Tasmania
in the Earth’s crust sitting
above the deadly Ring of Fire
could cause devastating
earthquakes and mega-tsunamis,
experts have warned.
The tear on the sea floor, which is some 60,000 square kilometers in
size and sits over the Ring of Fire, has been confirmed north of
Australia.
The Ring of Fire is the largest and most active fault line in the
world, stretching from New Zealand, all around the east coast of
Asia, over to Canada and the USA and all the way down to the
southern tip of South America.
There have been numerous deadly earthquakes this year alone across
the Ring of Fire, including in Japan, Peru and New Zealand and
the discovery of a massive tear above it will only increase fears that a
huge tremor is on its way.
While the huge tear, which is actually an exposed fault, has been
known about for 90 years, experts have been unable to figure out how
it got there.
Fears of the
Big One
have been exacerbated
GETTY
image
The Banda
Detachment
The tear, known as the
Banda Detachment, was formed when one
tectonic plate slid under another, ultimately sinking the Earth’s
crust into the mantle.
However, a sudden slip now could lead to one of the largest
earthquakes in history and spark mega-tsunamis.
The Ring of
Fire
The researchers hope the discovery can help prepare for tsunamis and
earthquakes.
Australian National University lead researcher Jonathan Pownall
said:
"Our research found that a 7 km-deep abyss beneath the Banda
Sea off eastern Indonesia was formed by extension along what might
be Earth's largest-identified exposed fault plane.
"In a region of extreme tsunami risk, knowledge of major faults such
as the Banda Detachment, which could make big earthquakes when they
slip, is fundamental to being able to properly assess tectonic
hazards."
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