The Sumatra fault has a long history of generating destructive earthquakes and tsunamis.

In 1833, a slip along the southern segment of the fault caused a magnitude 8.8 earthquake, one of the 10 largest ever documented.

A powerful tsunami swept the western coast of Sumatra, just like the recent tragedy, but the number of casualties is unknown.

In 1861, a slip on the northern end of the fault produced a magnitude 8.4 quake and a tsunami that struck about 300 miles of the western Sumatra coast.

Again, the number of casualties from that earthquake and seven major aftershocks is unknown.

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Source: Ron Harris, BYU, and Carlos Prasetyadi, University Pembangunan Nasional