Sumatra quake the largest of its type ever recorded . The 8.6 scale strike-slip earthquake has given new insights for seismologists . `` Eventually what you have is a cascade of failures and the last guy has to let go and the tectonics win and the fault moves , '' Sieh said . The quake was so large it extended beyond the Earth 's crust to the mantle . This is a very rare event, and scientists are still trying to understand what caused this unusual phenomenon.
Sumatra quake the largest of its type ever recorded . The 8.6 scale strike-slip earthquake has given new insights for seismologists . The quake was so large it extended beyond the Earth 's crust to the mantle . This is a very rare event, and scientists are still trying to understand what caused this unusual phenomenon.