PAGER - M 5.9 - SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
Alert Version: 1Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 19:09:52 UTCLocation: 11.4° S, 166.4° EDepth: 139kmEvent Id: US2009NKA9Created: 22 minutes, 17 seconds after earthquake.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist. A magnitude 6.8 earthquake 105 km Northwest of this one struck the Solomon Islands on December 29, 1999 (UTC), with estimated population exposures of 3,000 at intensity VIII and 8,000 at intensity VII, with no reported fatalities. On April 21, 1997 (UTC), a magnitude 7.7 earthquake 138 km South of this one struck Vanuatu, with estimated population exposures of 4,000 at intensity VII and 3,000 at intensity VI, with no reported fatalities.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist. A magnitude 6.8 earthquake 105 km Northwest of this one struck the Solomon Islands on December 29, 1999 (UTC), with estimated population exposures of 3,000 at intensity VIII and 8,000 at intensity VII, with no reported fatalities. On April 21, 1997 (UTC), a magnitude 7.7 earthquake 138 km South of this one struck Vanuatu, with estimated population exposures of 4,000 at intensity VII and 3,000 at intensity VI, with no reported fatalities.
Exposure Summary
Estimated Population Exposed to Earthquake Shaking
| Est. Modified Mercalli Intensity | Est. Population Exposure | Perceived Shaking | Potential Structure Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resistant | Vulnerable | |||
| X | 0 | Extreme | V. Heavy | V. Heavy |
| IX | 0 | Violent | Heavy | V. Heavy |
| VIII | 0 | Severe | Moderate/Heavy | Heavy |
| VII | 0 | Very Strong | Moderate | Moderate/Heavy |
| VI | 0 | Strong | Light | Moderate |
| V | 0 | Moderate | V. Light | Light |
| IV | 26k | Light | none | none |
| II-III | 600* | Weak | none | none |
| I | --* | Not Felt | none | none |
*Estimated exposure only includes population within calculated shake map area
| Population Exposure Population per ~1 sq. km. from LandScan  | Cities Exposed
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Shaking Intensity  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
PAGER results are generally available on the Internet within 30 minutes of the earthquake’s occurrence. However, information on the extent of shaking will be uncertain in the minutes and hours following and earthquake and typically improves as additional sensor data and reported intensities are acquired and incorporated into models of the earthquake's source. Users of PAGER estimates should account for uncertainty and always seek the most current PAGER release for any earthquake.
