Tsunami News (2)

LONDON - The tidal waves that swept the rim of the Indian Ocean swelled up to 10 metres high, travelled as fast as a moving vehicle and carried billions of tons of water, a British geologist said yesterday.

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"The tsunami has travelled all round the Indian Ocean, generating a wall of water up to 10 metres high travelling at the speed of a moving vehicle," (said David) Booth (of the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh)

"And we're talking about billions of tons of water. Nothing can withstand that pressure," he said.

"It's also possible that on the same fault line another large earthquake might be generated a bit further along."

However, he added it was "impossible to predict exactly where or when that might happen".

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Most people, especially tourists, would not have heeded the signs preceding the tidal wave.

"The first wave tends to move away from the shore and this is actually a well-known precursor to a tsunami," Booth said.

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"The average tourist would see the tide recede, he would see rocks exposed that have never been exposed before, fish flapping on the beach.

"And (tourists) would be attracted to the beach. They would say there is something funny going on, not realising that they have only a few minutes to move to high ground," he said.

-- Daily Dispatch, South Africa (12/28/2004)