2018 Palu earthquake was rare ultra-powerful supershear event

The Indonesian earthquake that impacted Sulawesi island in September 2018 was a rare ultra-powerful, superfast supershear event, according to new research out of NASA, UCLA, and more. The 7.5-magnitude earthquake caused an unexpected tsunami, the disaster ultimately claiming more than 1,500 lives and causing extreme damage. Using satellite images, researchers determined that the 7.5 Palu quake was one of fewer …