1843 Nias earthquake

Last updated
1843 Nias earthquake
Indonesia Sumatra relief location map.jpg
Bullseye1.png
Local dateJanuary 5, 1843 (1843-01-05)
Local time23:30–24:00
Magnitude Mw 7.8+ [1]
Epicenter 1°30′N98°00′E / 1.5°N 98.0°E / 1.5; 98.0
Fault Sunda megathrust
Areas affected Sumatra, Dutch East Indies
Max. intensity MMI XI (Extreme) [2]
Tsunamiyes
CasualtiesMany

The 1843 Nias earthquake off the northern coast of Sumatra, Indonesia caused severe damage when it triggered a tsunami along the coastline. The earthquake with a moment magnitude (Mw ) of 7.8 lasted nine minutes, collapsing many homes in Sumatra and Nias. It was assigned a maximum modified Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme).

Contents

Tectonic setting

The west coast of Sumatra is dominated by the Sunda megathrust; a 5,000 km long convergent boundary where the Australian Plate subducts beneath the Burma Plate and Sunda Plate at a rate of 60 mm/yr. [3] Convergence along this plate boundary is highly oblique, severely deforming the overriding Sunda Plate, where it is accommodated by the strike-slip motion along the Great Sumatran fault. Dip-slip fault can rupture within the downgoing Australian Plate at deep depths as well; the 2009 magnitude 7.6 earthquake near Padang was caused by reverse faulting at a depth of 80 km. The subduction zone offshore Sumatra has been responsible for several large earthquakes in 2004 and 2005. [4] Occasionally, the subduction ruptures in earthquake that reaches the trench, triggering large tsunamis such as in 1907, 2004 and 2010. [5]

Impact

The earthquake's destructive effects were felt on Nias and Sumatra islands. Shaking was described as weak and oscillating, but rapidly intensified. The extreme shaking was felt for up to nine minutes. It was so violent that standing or walking was impossible. [6] Stone buildings and a fortress on a hill at Gunungsitoli on Nias Island were destroyed. Trees were uprooted and snapped. Cracks appeared in the ground and mud erupted from within. Liquefaction on Nias island caused some buildings to sink into the ground. Homes collapsed, killing many residents. Government offices and a Commandant's house were destroyed. Small landslides also occurred. [2]

Shaking was also felt in Penang Island and Singapore. [2] In Singapore, tremors were felt at half past midnight on January 6. [7] Shaking was felt stronger on the hills, described as oscillating in an east–west direction. At Penang Island, shaking was felt in a north–south direction. [6]

Aftershocks

Many aftershocks were felt until 04:30 local time. Earthquakes were felt every two minutes of each other. Another earthquake was felt on January 8 at 14:30. [6]

Tsunami

The first tsunami waves were reported at 00:30 local time, causing extreme damage. It arrived from the southeast and struck the island. Cattle and human residents were swept away by the waves. At the villages of Barus (on Sumatra) and Palan Nias (on Nias Island), large waves were reported over a period of two days. A large tsunami reportedly destroyed settlements on the east coast of Nias and Sumatra islands. The tsunami wiped out a large village located two kilometers from Gunungsitoli. Proas located on a nearby river were washed inland by up to 50 meters. Many people were killed by the tsunami and earthquake. Ships at Barus were dumped 600 meters inland due to the tsunami. [8]

The bodies tsunami victims were found along the shores in the days following. Kampong Mego, a large village on the island, was totally destroyed. The waves also smashed prows at the coast in the village of Goenong Sie Foli, north of Mego. The tsunami persisted until 04:30. [9]

A sea disturbance was observed in the Malacca Strait at the time of the earthquake, however, that was attributed to the weather. [8]

Characteristic

A research article published in 2006 by the journal Science of Tsunami Hazards estimated the moment magnitude (Mw ) at 7.2. [5] In the book A catalogue of tsunamis on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean, the surface-wave magnitude was assigned 7.3. [10] In 2013, the journal Geophysical Research Letters published a finding that re-estimated the moment magnitude to at least Mw  7.8 based on information of the extent of tsunami inundation. [1]

It is unclear where the source of the earthquake originated, but may have occurred on the interface of the Sunda megathrust or a shallow splay fault within the accretionary wedge of the overriding plate. [11]

The events of 1843 is the earliest record of an earthquake on Nias Island. Subsequent earthquakes in 1861 and 1907 would also occur on the island. It resulted in some uplift and subsidence on the northwestern section of Nias Island as investigated by scientists using microatolls. The island was raised by 17 centimeters during the quake. Uplift of the island also occurred during the large earthquakes of 1861, 2005 and 2010. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

Megathrust earthquakes occur at convergent plate boundaries, where one tectonic plate is forced underneath another. The earthquakes are caused by slip along the thrust fault that forms the contact between the two plates. These interplate earthquakes are the planet's most powerful, with moment magnitudes (Mw) that can exceed 9.0. Since 1900, all earthquakes of magnitude 9.0 or greater have been megathrust earthquakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake</span> 2005 earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia

The 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake occurred on 28 March off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. At least 915 people were killed, mostly on the island of Nias. The event caused panic in the region, which had already been devastated by the massive tsunami triggered by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, but this earthquake generated a relatively small tsunami that caused limited damage. It was the third most powerful earthquake since 1965 in Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Pangandaran earthquake and tsunami</span> Destructive tsunami earthquake south of Java Island

An earthquake occurred on July 17, 2006 at 15:19:27 local time along a subduction zone off the coast of west and central Java, a large and densely populated island in the Indonesian archipelago. The shock had a moment magnitude of 7.7 and a maximum perceived intensity of IV (Light) in Jakarta, the capital and largest city of Indonesia. There were no direct effects of the earthquake's shaking due to its low intensity, and the large loss of life from the event was due to the resulting tsunami, which inundated a 300 km (190 mi) portion of the Java coast that had been unaffected by the earlier 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that was off the coast of Sumatra. The July 2006 earthquake was also centered in the Indian Ocean, 180 kilometers (110 mi) from the coast of Java, and had a duration of more than three minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">September 2007 Sumatra earthquakes</span> Earthquakes affecting Indonesia

The September 2007 Sumatra earthquakes were a series of megathrust earthquakes that struck the Sunda Trench off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, with three of magnitude 7 or greater. A series of tsunami bulletins was issued for the area. The most powerful of the series had a magnitude of 8.5, which makes it in the top 20 of the largest earthquakes ever recorded on a seismograph.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Enggano earthquake</span> Earthquake affecting Indonesia

At 23:28 local time on June 4, 2000 southern Sumatra, Indonesia was struck by an earthquake of moment magnitude 7.9 with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong). The event occurred off the coast near Enggano Island. There were more than 100 fatalities and up to 2,585 injuries. Over 730 aftershocks shook the area afterwards, one just eleven minutes after the mainshock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1833 Sumatra earthquake</span> Seismic event

The 1833 Sumatra earthquake occurred on November 25 at about 22:00 local time, with an estimated magnitude in the range of 8.8–9.2 Mw . It caused a large tsunami that flooded the southwestern coast of the island. There are no reliable records of the loss of life, with the casualties being described only as 'numerous'. The magnitude of this event has been estimated using records of uplift taken from coral microatolls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunda megathrust</span> Geological feature

The Sunda megathrust is a fault that extends approximately 5,500 km (3300 mi) from Myanmar (Burma) in the north, running along the southwestern side of Sumatra, to the south of Java and Bali before terminating near Australia. It is a megathrust, located at a convergent plate boundary where it forms the interface between the overriding Eurasian plate and the subducting Indo-Australian plate. It is one of the most seismogenic structures on Earth, being responsible for many great and giant earthquakes, including the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that killed over 227,000 people. The Sunda megathrust can be divided into the Andaman Megathrust, Sumatra(n) Megathrust and Java(n) Megathrust. The Bali-Sumbawa segment is much less active and therefore does not have the "megathrust" term associated with it.

The 1797 Sumatra earthquake occurred at 22:00 local time on February 10. It was the first in a series of great earthquakes that ruptured part of the Sumatran segment of the Sunda megathrust. It caused a damaging tsunami that was particularly severe near Padang, where a 150–200 ton English ship was driven 1 km inland up the Arau River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1861 Sumatra earthquake</span> Natural disaster in Indonesia

The 1861 Sumatra earthquake occurred on 16 February and was the last in a sequences of earthquakes that ruptured adjacent parts of the Sumatran segment of the Sunda megathrust. It caused a devastating tsunami which led to several thousand fatalities. The earthquake was felt as far away as the Malay peninsula and the eastern part of Java. The rupture area for the 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake is similar to that estimated for the 1861 event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Mentawai earthquake and tsunami</span> 2010 Indonesian earthquake and tsunami

The 2010 Mentawai earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 7.8 on 25 October off the western coast of Sumatra at 21:42 local time. The earthquake occurred on the same fault that produced the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. It was widely felt across the provinces of Bengkulu and West Sumatra and resulted in a substantial localized tsunami that struck the Mentawai Islands.

The 1984 Northern Sumatra earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 7.2 on November 17 at 06:49 UTC. The epicentre was located off the coast of Sumatra, near the island of Nias, where building damage was reported. This earthquake could be strongly felt in parts of Northern Sumatra, including Padang and Medan. The focal mechanism corresponded to reverse faulting.

The 1935 Sumatra earthquake occurred at 09:35 local time on 28 December. It had a magnitude of Mw 7.7 and a maximum felt intensity of VII (Damaging) on the European macroseismic scale. It triggered a minor tsunami.

The 2002 Sumatra earthquake occurred at 01:26 UTC on 2 November. It had a magnitude of 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale with an epicenter just north of Simeulue island and caused three deaths. This earthquake is regarded as a foreshock of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which had an epicenter about 60 km to the northwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1944 Tōnankai earthquake</span> Earthquake and tsunami affecting southern Japan

The 1944 Tōnankai earthquake occurred at 13:35 local time on 7 December. It had an estimated magnitude of 8.1 on the moment magnitude scale and a maximum felt intensity of greater than 5 Shindo. It triggered a large tsunami that caused serious damage along the coast of Wakayama Prefecture and the Tōkai region. Together, the earthquake and tsunami caused 3,358 casualties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsunami earthquake</span> Type of earthquake which triggers a tsunami of far-larger magnitude

In seismology, a tsunami earthquake is an earthquake which triggers a tsunami of significantly greater magnitude, as measured by shorter-period seismic waves. The term was introduced by Japanese seismologist Hiroo Kanamori in 1972. Such events are a result of relatively slow rupture velocities. They are particularly dangerous as a large tsunami may arrive at a coastline with little or no warning.

The 1907 Sumatra earthquake occurred on January 4 at 05:19:12 UTC. The estimated magnitude is 7.5–8.0 Ms, with an epicentre close to Simeulue, off Sumatra. It triggered a widespread and damaging tsunami that caused at least 2,188 deaths. The low observed intensity compared to the size of the tsunami has led to its interpretation as a tsunami earthquake. Higher levels of shaking observed on Nias are attributed to a large aftershock, less than an hour later. The tsunami gave rise to the S'mong legend, which is credited with saving many lives during the 2004 earthquake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Simeulue earthquake</span> Earthquake in Indonesia

On February 20, 2008, an earthquake with a moment magnitude of 7.4 struck off the coast of Sumatra at a hypocentre depth of 26 km. The earthquake had an epicenter located on the island of Simeulue, northwest from Sinabang, a small town on the island. Three people were killed and an additional 25 seriously injured as a result of the earthquake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Sumatra earthquake</span> Earthquake in Indonesia

On 25 February 2022 at 08:39 WIB, a moment magnitude (Mw ) 6.2 earthquake struck West Sumatra, Indonesia at a depth of 4.0 km (2.5 mi). Preceded by one foreshock and followed by over 200 aftershocks, the mainshock had an epicenter at the foot of Mount Talakmau in Pasaman Regency. The mainshock was the result of strike-slip faulting along a previously unidentified segment of the Great Sumatran Fault. At least 27 people died, 457 were injured, and 19,221 others were displaced. It inflicted 780 million Indonesian rupiahs (Rp) worth of damage. The heaviest damage was recorded at three villages around Mount Talakmau. Landslides and flash floods caused additional damage and casualties.

The 1933 Sumatra earthquake or Liwa earthquake occurred in West Lampung Regency, Lampung Province, Indonesia on June 25. The earthquake had an estimated surface-wave magnitude (Ms ) of 7.7 occurring at a shallow depth of 20 km. It had an epicenter onshore, devastating the city of Liwa. At least 76 people were reported killed, although the death toll may have been in the thousands. Aftershocks followed, including one which was strong enough to cause additional fatalities. The mainshock also triggered a nearby volcanic eruption two weeks later, killing some people.

The 1909 Kerinci earthquake struck Sumatra, Dutch East Indies on June 4 at 01:40 WIB. The shock measured Mw 7.6 and occurred along the Great Sumatran Fault. Damage was extensive and great around the Kerinci area; many homes collapsed and roads were damaged. The death toll stood at between 195 and 230.

References

  1. 1 2 Suleyman Nalbant; John McCloskey; Sandy Steacy; Mairead NicBhloscaidh; Shane Murphy (2013). "Interseismic coupling, stress evolution, and earthquake slip on the Sunda megathrust" (PDF). Geophysical Research Letters . 40 (16): 4204–4208. Bibcode:2013GeoRL..40.4204N. doi:10.1002/grl.50776. S2CID   59068187.
  2. 1 2 3 "Significant Earthquake Information". ngdc.noaa.gov. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  3. ↑ Belle Philibosian Kerry Sieh Jean-Philippe Avouac Danny H. Natawidjaja Hong-Wei Chiang Chung-Che Wu Hugo Perfettini Chuan-Chou Shen Mudrik R. Daryono Bambang W. Suwargadi (2014). "Rupture and variable coupling behavior of the Mentawai segment of the Sunda megathrust during the supercycle culmination of 1797 to 1833". Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. 119 (9): 7258–7287. Bibcode:2014JGRB..119.7258P. doi: 10.1002/2014JB011200 . hdl: 10356/79397 .
  4. ↑ Sieh, Kerry (2007). "The Sunda megathrust - Past, present and future" (PDF). Journal of Earthquake and Tsunami. 1: 1–19. doi:10.1142/S179343110700002X.
  5. 1 2 B. K. Rastogi; R. K. Jaiswal (2006). "A catalog of tsunamis in the Indian Ocean". Science of Tsunami Hazards. 25 (3). Hyderabad, India: National Geophysical Research Institute.
  6. 1 2 3 R. Baird. "Register of Indian and Asiatic Earthquakes for the year 1843 by Lieutenant R. Baird". Journal of the Asiatic Society. 14: 604–619 – via Scribd.
  7. ↑ Vina Jie-Min Prasad. "Earth tremors in Singapore". National Library Board.
  8. 1 2 National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service: NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (Data set), doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7 , retrieved 8 February 2022
  9. ↑ "Time-varying interseismic strain rates and similar seismic ruptures on the Nias–Simeulue patch of the Sunda megathrust (Supplementary Material)" (PDF). Quaternary Science Reviews. 122: 258–281. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  10. ↑ Soloviev, S.L.; Go, Ch. N. (1974). A catalogue of tsunamis on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean. Moscow, Russia: Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Nauka Publishing House. p. 439.
  11. 1 2 Aron J. Meltzner; Kerry Sieh; Hong-Wei Chiang; Chung-Che Wu; Louisa L.H. Tsang; Chuan-Chou Shen; Emma M. Hill; Bambang W. Suwargadi; Danny H. Natawidjaja; Belle Philibosian; Richard W. Briggs (2015). "Time-varying interseismic strain rates and similar seismic ruptures on the Nias–Simeulue patch of the Sunda megathrust". Quaternary Science Reviews. 122. Elsevier: 258–281. Bibcode:2015QSRv..122..258M. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.06.003 .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.