▁magnitude ▁of ▁ 7 . 3 ▁on ▁the ▁moment ▁magnitude ▁scale ▁with ▁an ▁ep ic enter ▁just ▁north ▁of ▁S ime ul ue ▁island ▁and ▁caused ▁three ▁death s . ▁This ▁earth qu ake ▁is ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁for es ho ck ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁earth qu ake , ▁which ▁had ▁an ▁ep ic enter ▁about ▁ 6 0   km ▁to ▁the ▁north west . ▁ ▁T ect onic ▁setting ▁The ▁island ▁of ▁Sum atra ▁lies ▁on ▁the ▁conver gent ▁plate ▁boundary ▁between ▁the ▁Ind o - Austral ian ▁Pl ate ▁and ▁the ▁E uras ian ▁Pl ate . ▁The ▁convergence ▁between ▁these ▁pl ates ▁is ▁highly ▁ob lique ▁near ▁Sum atra , ▁with ▁the ▁disp lacement ▁being ▁accommod ated ▁by ▁near ▁pure ▁dip - s lip ▁fault ing ▁along ▁the ▁sub du ction ▁zone , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁S unda ▁meg ath rust , ▁and ▁near ▁pure ▁strike - s lip ▁fault ing ▁along ▁the ▁Great ▁Sum at ran ▁fault . ▁The ▁major ▁s lip ▁events ▁on ▁the ▁sub du ction ▁zone ▁interface ▁are ▁typically ▁of ▁meg ath rust ▁type . ▁Histor ically , ▁great ▁or ▁giant ▁meg ath rust ▁earth qu akes ▁have ▁been ▁recorded ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 7 , ▁ 1 8 3 3 , ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁most ▁of ▁them ▁being ▁associated ▁with ▁dev ast ating ▁t sun am