Samoa 2009 tsunami caused by more than one quake

Samoan quake was actually three seismic events, according to study led by University of Utah
By Amy Joi O'Donoghue
Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY —— The physical evidence a criminal leaves behind can tell the story of what happened and, sometimes most importantly, what did not.

The same is true for charting the physical characteristics of an earthquake —— discrepancies may be uncovered that paint a new picture of what happened.

A study led in part by the head of the University of Utah Seismograph Stations shows that last year's earthquake in Samoa, America Samoa and Tonga was not just one seismic event, but a trio of temblors.

"At first, we thought it was one earthquake," said the U.'s Keith Koper, co-author of the study to be published in the Thursday issue of the journal Nature. "When we looked at the data, it turned out it wasn't just one great earthquake, but three large earthquakes that happened within two minutes of one another. The two quakes that were hidden by the first quake ended up being responsible for some of the damage and tsunami waves." 

Click on link below for the complete article.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/700058075/Samoan-quake-was-actually-three-seismic-events-according-to-study-led-by-University-of-Utah.html

...here's another link for a story by the Associated Press
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38755230?Gt1=43001