2000 Enggano earthquake

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2000 Enggano earthquake
2000 Enggano earthquake shakemap.jpg
Indonesia Sumatra relief location map.jpg
Bullseye1.png
UTC  time2000-06-04 16:28:26
ISC  event 1736014
USGS-ANSS ComCat
Local dateJune 4, 2000 (2000-06-04)
Local time23:28:26 WIB (UTC+7)
Duration40 seconds
Magnitude7.9 Mw
Depth35 km (22 mi) [1]
Epicenter 4°37′S102°04′E / 4.61°S 102.06°E / -4.61; 102.06 [1]
Fault Sunda megathrust
Type Strike-slip (first subevent)
Megathrust (second subevent) [2]
Areas affected Bengkulu, Indonesia
Total damageSevere
Max. intensity MMI VI (Strong) [3]
ForeshocksMw 5.0 on 3 June [4]
Aftershocks346 Mw 4.0+ (as of 31/12/2000) [5]
Strongest: Two Mw 6.7 events
Casualties103–141 fatalities [6] [7]
2,185–2,585 injuries [8] [6]

On 4 June 2000, at 23:28 WIB, southern Sumatra in Indonesia was struck by an earthquake of Mw 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 340 aftershocks shook the area throughout the rest of 2000, one just eleven minutes after the mainshock.

Contents

This was the first and southernmost in a series of very large to great Sumatran earthquakes in the 2000s to rupture almost the entire western part of the Sunda megathrust, most notably including the 2004 Indian Ocean, 2005 Nias–Simeulue and 2007 Bengkulu earthquakes.

Background and tectonics

Indonesia is well known for strong earthquakes: the 2000 Enggano event marked the beginning of an ongoing period of seismic activity in the area, highlighted by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The 2000 Enggano earthquake took place at the southeastern end of the fault segment that ruptured during the 1833 Sumatra earthquake. This group of earthquakes, in addition to the 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake, all ruptured along the megathrust that forms the interface between the Australian and Sunda plates. [9] This event was the only one not to cause a damaging tsunami.

Earthquake

The earthquake involved the rupture of two different faults with different mechanisms. The first subevent ruptured a north–south striking fault within the Australian plate with a left lateral strike-slip mechanism. The earthquake rupture propagated northwards until it reached the megathrust, triggering the second subevent along the Sunda megathrust itself. The strike-slip rupture probably represents slip on a pre-existing fracture zone, similar to the likely cause of the M 7.9 earthquake that struck about 1,000 km to the south on 18 June 2000 with a similar mechanism. [2]

According to a finite fault model released by the USGS, the earthquake rupture extended over 190 km (120 mi) by 35 km (22 mi) from northwestern Seluma Regency to southwest of Enggano Island. The zone of the largest slip occurred south-southwest of the hypocenter, where up to 6.154 m (20.19 ft) of slip was produced. Another zone of slip occurred north-northeast of the hypocenter, producing 5.223 m (17.14 ft) of slip. The entire rupture process took nearly 40 seconds with the greatest phase of seismic moment release occurring nearly 25 seconds after initiation. [3]

By 31 December 2000, there were 346 aftershocks exceeding Mw 4.0 that extended about 190 km (120 mi) along a northwest–southeast trend, with some occurring directly beneath Enggano Island. [5] The largest of these measured Mw 7.6 and struck north-northeast of the mainshock on 4 June. [10]

Damage and casualties

According to the USGS' PAGER-CAT catalog, the earthquake killed 103 people and injured up to 2,585 others, however the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reported 141 deaths. [7] At least 85 people were killed, 2,185 were injured, 354 houses were destroyed and 669 others were damaged in mainland Bengkulu, with 43 deaths in North Bengkulu, 39 in South Bengkulu Regency and three in Central Bengkulu. [8] The city's main hospital partially collapsed, with only multiple exterior walls remaining. [11] Roads connecting to the city were also severely damaged, and power outages were widespread, with 80% of the affected areas still without power by 9 June. [8]

Although there were only reports of minor injuries, [3] ninety percent of houses were destroyed on Enggano Island; [8] All concrete structures collapsed and most wooden structures were severely damaged there. [11] In the village worst struck, several hundred structures were reported in ruins. [12] [13]

Aftermath and response

International relief teams arrived in the region within several days. [14] Relief efforts were impeded by fallen telephone poles, which blocked the supplies. [12] The main problem found in the affected areas was a lack of water supply and electricity, these facilities having been cut off by oscillation. [12] Pope John Paul II expressed his "sincere sympathy" for those families stricken by the earthquake. [15] He called for a rapid international response to the quake, and said he would keep its victims in his prayers. [15] A Taiwanese rescue team was sent to help victims of the tremor, the first country to take part in rescue efforts from Asia. The United States donated US$ 25,000 instantly to relief organizations, Japan offering a grant of US$140,000 and Australia US$143,000 in addition to a two-person team of emergency relief examiners. [16] Students from the University of Bengkulu traveled in Red Cross teams consisting of seven people, pulling victims out of the rubble and taking them to first aid posts manned by their colleagues, while politician Mar'ie Muhammad spent three days in Bengkulu, visiting affected areas and organizing the continuation of the relief operation with local authorities. Volunteers helped donate 1,000 of a total of 15,000 family kits containing cooking utensils, sarongs, sleeping mats, plastic sheeting and hygeinic items. Over 400 of the kits were loaded onto a boat and 40 volunteers and the International Federation relief delegate traveled to Enggano Island to carry out the first distribution. [8]

Wharton Basin event

2000 Wharton Basin earthquake
Indian Ocean laea relief location map.jpg
Bullseye1.png
UTC  time2000-06-18 14:44:13
ISC  event 1736624
USGS-ANSS ComCat
Local dateJune 18, 2000 (2000-06-18)
Local time21:14:13 CIT (UTC+6:30) 21:44:13 WIB (UTC+7)
Magnitude7.9 Mw
Depth10 km (6.2 mi)
Epicenter 13°48′07″S97°27′11″E / 13.802°S 97.453°E / -13.802; 97.453
Type Intraplate
Areas affected Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Max. intensity MMI II (Weak) [17]
Tsunami30 cm (0.98 ft) [17]
Aftershocks17 (As of 27/06/2000) [18]
CasualtiesNone

Two weeks later on June 18, another Mw  7.9 event occurred about 1,000 kilometers (620 mi) to the southwest in the Wharton Basin. At the time, it was the largest intraplate earthquake in the Indian Ocean until the 2012 Indian Ocean earthquakes. [2] The earthquake knocked items from shelves and triggered a 30 cm (0.98 ft) tsunami at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, near the epicenter. [17]

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 in the subduction zone of the Sunda megathrust. At least 915 people were killed, mostly on the island of Nias. It was among the top 10 most powerful recorded worldwide since 1900, with a magnitude of 8.6 that caused a relatively small tsunami. Damage ranged from hundreds of buildings destroyed in Nias to widespread power outages throughout the island of Sumatra. Following the mainshock, eight major aftershocks occurred ranging from 5.5 to 6.0 magnitudes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Sumatran fault</span> Geological feature

The Great Sumatran fault, also known as Semangko fault, is a large strike-slip fault running the entire length of the island of Sumatra. This Indonesian island is located in a highly seismic area of the world, including a subduction zone off the west coast of the island.

<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">2007 Bengkulu earthquakes</span> Earthquakes affecting Indonesia

The 2007 Bengkulu 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 8.4, which makes it in the top 20 of the largest earthquakes ever recorded on a seismograph.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Indonesia</span>

This is a brief summary of the geology of Indonesia. Indonesia is located between two major tectonic plates namely, the Australian Plate and the newly-separated Sunda Plate.

<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 10 February. 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 t English ship was driven 1 km (0.62 mi) inland up the Arau River.

<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 1907 Sumatra earthquake occurred on January 4 at 05:19:12 UTC. The re-estimated moment magnitude (Mw) is 8.2 to 8.4, with an epicentre close to Simeulue, off Sumatra. An earlier study re-estimated a surface-wave magnitude (Ms) of 7.5 to 8.0. It triggered a widespread and damaging Indian Ocean wide tsunami that caused at least 2,188 deaths on Sumatra. 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">2021 Chignik earthquake</span> 7th largest earthquake in the US

An earthquake occurred off the coast of the Alaska Peninsula on July 28, 2021, at 10:15 p.m. local time. The large megathrust earthquake had a moment magnitude of 8.2 according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). A tsunami warning was issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) but later cancelled. The mainshock was followed by a number of aftershocks, including three that were of magnitude 5.9, 6.1 and 6.9 respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 Kerinci earthquake</span> Earthquake in Indonesia

The 1995 Kerinci earthquake struck near Sungai Penuh in Jambi Province on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. It earthquake occurred at 01:18 WIB local time on October 7. The earthquake measured 6.7 Mw on the moment magnitude scale, and 6.9–7.0 Ms on the surface-wave magnitude scale. Between 84 and possibly even 100 people were killed in the earthquake. An extimated 4,000 buildings collapsed or were seriously damaged while a further 5,000 suffered some damage.

The 2021 South Sandwich Islands earthquakes were a pair of powerful earthquakes, followed by many strong aftershocks which struck along the South Sandwich Trench in August 2021. The quakes measured 7.5 and 8.1 on the moment magnitude scale, according to the United States Geological Survey. The mainshock is tied with another event in 1929 as the largest earthquake ever recorded in the South Atlantic region, and is tied with the 2021 Kermadec Islands earthquake as the second largest earthquake of 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Flores earthquake</span> Earthquake in Indonesia

An earthquake occurred 112 km, offshore, north of Maumere in the Flores Sea on 14 December. The quake had a moment magnitude of 7.3 according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). One person was killed and 173 others suffered injuries.

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).

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 788 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.

References

  1. 1 2 ISC (2014). ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009). Version 1.05. International Seismological Centre.
  2. 1 2 3 Abercrombie, R. E.; Antolik, M.; Ekström, G. (2003). "The June 2000 Mw 7.9 earthquakes south of Sumatra: Deformation in the India–Australia Plate". Journal of Geophysical Research. 108 (B1): ESE 6–1. Bibcode:2003JGRB..108.2018A. doi: 10.1029/2001JB000674 .
  3. 1 2 3 "M 7.9 - 103 km S of Bengkulu, Indonesia". United States Geological Survey.
  4. ↑ ANSS. "M 5.0 - 59 km SSW of Bengkulu, Indonesia 2000". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey.
  5. 1 2 "Search Results". USGS. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  6. 1 2 PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog. Version 2008_06.1. United States Geological Survey. September 4, 2009.
  7. 1 2 IFRC (9 June 2000). "Indonesia - Enggano Island shaken to its core". ReliefWeb . Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 OCHA (9 June 2000). "Indonesia – Earthquake OCHA Situation Report No. 4". ReliefWeb . Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  9. ↑ Sieh, K. "The Sunda megathrust: past, present and future" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  10. ↑ ANSS. "M 6.7 - 95 km S of Bengkulu, Indonesia 2000". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey.
  11. 1 2 IFRC (30 June 2000). "Indonesia - after the earthquake". ReliefWeb . Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  12. 1 2 3 "Indonesia appeals for help following Sumatran earthquake". RTÉ News. June 5, 2000.
  13. ↑ Tim Radford (July 6, 2000). "Just an everyday disaster". The Guardian. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
  14. ↑ UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2000), UNDAC Team Mission Report Bengkulu Earthquake, Sumatra, Indonesia 6–16 Jun 2000, ReliefWeb
  15. 1 2 "Pope Comforts Indonesian Quake Victims". Catholic World News . 2000-06-06.
  16. ↑ Catherine Sung (June 8, 2000). "Rescue team on the way". Taipei Times. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
  17. 1 2 3 "M 7.9 – South Indian Ocean". United States Geological Survey.
  18. ↑ "USGS earthquake catalog". United States Geological Survey.

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