Sumatra is the largest of its kind ever recorded . Likening the tectonic plates to a group of 10 men holding onto an elephant with a rope , he said that pressure on the plates becomes greater as the struggle becomes unequal . The 8.6 scale strike - slip earthquake has provided new insights for him . The quake was so large it extended beyond the Earth 's crust to the mantle . He said the earthquake has increased the stress on the rocks in the area .
Sumatra is the largest of its kind ever recorded . The 8.6 scale strike - slip earthquake has provided new insights for him . The quake was so large it extended beyond the Earth 's crust to the mantle . He said the earthquake has increased the stress on the rocks in the area .