Magnitude 7.7 - VANUATU
2009 October 07 22:03:15 UTC
Earthquake Details
- This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.
| Magnitude | 7.7 |
|---|---|
| Date-Time |
|
| Location | 13.052°S, 166.187°E |
| Depth | 35 km (21.7 miles) set by location program |
| Region | VANUATU |
| Distances | 265 km (165 miles) SSE of Lata, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Isl. 285 km (180 miles) NNW of Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu 810 km (500 miles) ESE of HONIARA, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands 2115 km (1310 miles) NE of BRISBANE, Queensland, Australia |
| Location Uncertainty | horizontal +/- 7.6 km (4.7 miles); depth fixed by location program |
| Parameters | NST=169, Nph=169, Dmin=>999 km, Rmss=1.32 sec, Gp= 50°, M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=7 |
| Source |
|
| Event ID | us2009mlcf |
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Earthquake Summary
Felt Reports
Felt at Lakatoro, Luganville, Port Olry, Port Vila and Sola.
Tectonic Summary
The Torres Islands, Vanuatu earthquake of October 7, 2009, occurred on or near the plate boundary between the Australia and Pacific plates. In the region of the earthquake, the Australia plate moves to the east-northeast with respect to the Pacific plate at a velocity of about 91 mm/year. The Australia plate thrusts under the Pacific plate at the New Hebrides trench and dips to the east-northeast. The October 7 earthquake’s location, depth, and focal mechanism are consistent with the earthquake having occurred as thrust-faulting associated with subduction along the Australia-Pacific plate boundary.
The Vanuatu region experiences a very high level of earthquake activity, with over a dozen events of magnitude 7 and larger having been recorded since the early decades of the twentieth century. The subducting Australia plate is seismically active to depths of about 350 km beneath the islands.
Recent large earthquakes near the October 7 event include a M 7.2 earthquake in 2007 and a M 7.3 earthquake in 1999.
Earthquake Maps
Scientific & Technical Information
Tsunami Information
The earthquake locations and magnitudes cited in NOAA tsunami statements and bulletins are preliminary and are superseded by USGS locations and magnitudes computed using more extensive data sets.
NOAA Tsunami Bulletins for this Earthquake
No Bulletins have been issued at this time.
General Tsunami Information
- Preliminary Earthquake Report
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center:
World Data Center for Seismology, Denver
