2006 Kuril Islands earthquake

Last updated
2006 Kuril Islands earthquake
Relief Map of Kurily.png
Bullseye1.png
Relief Map of Far Eastern Federal District.jpg
Bullseye1.png
UTC  time2006-11-15 11:14:13
ISC  event 9235276
USGS-ANSS ComCat
Local dateNovember 15, 2006 (2006-11-15)
Local time8:14 pm [1]
Magnitude8.3 Mw [1]
Depth31 km (19 mi) [1]
Epicenter 46°35′31″N153°15′58″E / 46.592°N 153.266°E / 46.592; 153.266 [1]
Fault Kuril–Kamchatka Trench
Type Megathrust
Areas affected Japan, Russia
Max. intensity MMI IV (Light) [2]

JMA 2
TsunamiUp to 21.9 m (72 ft) in Matua Island, Kuril Islands
Casualties1 injured [3]

The 2006 Kuril Islands earthquake occurred on November 15 at 8:14:16 pm JST with a Mw magnitude of 8.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IV (Light) and a maximum Shindo intensity of JMA 2. This megathrust earthquake was the largest event in the central Kuril Islands since 1915 and generated a small tsunami that affected the northern Japanese coast. The tsunami crossed the Pacific Ocean and damaged the harbor at Crescent City, California. Post-tsunami surveys indicate that the local tsunami in the central Kuril Islands reached runups of 21.9 metres (72 ft) or higher. [4] [5]

Contents

This earthquake is also considered a doublet of the 2007 Kuril Islands earthquake that hit the same area on January 13, 2007. [6]

Tsunami

At about 11:45 UTC, tsunami warnings were issued in Japan for the northern coasts of Hokkaidō and Honshū, and a number of towns in this area were very quickly evacuated. Tsunami warnings, advisories and watches were also issued for the coastal areas of Alaska, Hawaii, parts of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. JMA initially estimated tsunami waves to be as tall as 2 metres when it hit the Japanese northern and eastern coasts, but it turned out to be merely 40 centimetres when it reached Hanasaki Port, Nemuro, Hokkaidō at 9:29 pm local time. The tsunami also hit the rest of Hokkaidō and the Tōhoku Region. The tallest wave recorded in Japan was at Tsubota (坪田), Miyakejima (三宅島), at 84 centimetres. Tsunami also hit as far as Amami in Kagoshima Prefecture and Naha in Okinawa Prefecture, and reached the Hawaiian and California coasts. A 176-centimetre wave in the harbor at Crescent City, California caused an estimated $10 million in damage to the docks. [7] The United States authorities had issued warnings for the Russian Far East, Japan, Wake Island and Midway Atoll.

The nearfield tsunami struck islands with no current inhabitants. However, geologists and archaeologists had visited these islands the previous summer, and returned in the summers of 2007 and 2008. [8] [9] [10] Because there were two central Kurils tsunamis in the winter of 2006/2007 (see 2007 Kuril Islands earthquake), the specific effects of each tsunami are difficult to determine; but evidence shows that the 2006 tsunami was the larger on all islands in the Kurils except for parts of Rasshua. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake</span> Earthquake near the Aleutian Islands, Alaska

The 1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake occurred near the Aleutian Islands, Alaska on April 1, 1946. The shock measured 8.6, Mt 9.3 or 7.4. It had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong). It resulted in 165–173 casualties and over US$26 million in damage. The seafloor along the fault was elevated, triggering a Pacific-wide tsunami with multiple destructive waves at heights ranging from 45–138 ft (14–42 m). The tsunami obliterated the Scotch Cap Lighthouse on Unimak Island, Alaska among others, and killed all five lighthouse keepers. Despite the destruction to the Aleutian Island Unimak, the tsunami had almost an imperceptible effect on the Alaskan mainland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okhotsk microplate</span> Minor tectonic plate in Asia

The Okhotsk microplate is a proposed minor tectonic plate covering the Kamchatka Peninsula, Magadan Oblast, and Sakhalin Island of Russia; Hokkaido, Kantō and Tōhoku regions of Japan; the Sea of Okhotsk, as well as the disputed Kuril Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamchatka earthquakes</span> Earthquakes in the Kamchatka Peninsula, far eastern Russia

Many major earthquakes have occurred in the region of the Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia. Events in 1737, 1923 and 1952, were megathrust earthquakes and caused tsunamis. There are many more earthquakes and tsunamis originating from the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 Miyagi earthquake</span> Earthquake in Japan

On August 16, 2005, an earthquake struck the east coast of the Japanese island of Honshū at 11:46 am on August 16, 2005, causing damage and power outages. The event registered 7.2 on the moment magnitude scale.

<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.

The 2007 Kuril Islands earthquake occurred east of the Kuril Islands on 13 January at 1:23 p.m. (JST). The shock had a moment magnitude of 8.1 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong). A non-destructive tsunami was generated, with maximum wave amplitudes of 0.32 meters. The earthquake is considered a doublet of the 8.3 magnitude 2006 Kuril Islands earthquake which occurred two months prior on 15 November 2006 approximately 95 km to the southeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1952 Severo-Kurilsk earthquake</span> Sixth most powerful on record; in Russia

The 1952 Severo-Kurilsk earthquake struck off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The 9.0 Mw earthquake triggered a major tsunami that hit Severo-Kurilsk, Kuril Islands, Sakhalin Oblast, Russian SFSR, USSR, on 5 November 1952 at 04:58 local time. This led to the destruction of many settlements in Sakhalin Oblast and Kamchatka Oblast, while the main impact struck the town of Severo-Kurilsk. It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Russia, and the fifth most powerful earthquake ever recorded in the world since modern seismography began in 1900.

The 1963 Kuril Islands earthquake occurred at 05:17 UTC, on October 13. The earthquake had a magnitude of 8.5 and was followed by a Mw 7.8 event seven days later. Both earthquakes triggered tsunamis that were observed around the northern part of the Pacific Ocean.

The 1996 Chimbote earthquake occurred on February 21 at 07:51 local time about 130 km off the coast of northern Peru, near the Peru–Chile Trench. The earthquake had a moment magnitude of 7.5 and occurred at 25.0 km (15.5 mi) depth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1993 Okushiri earthquake</span> Earthquake in Japan

The 1993 southwest-off Hokkaido earthquake or Okushiri earthquake occurred at 13:17:12 UTC on 12 July 1993 in the Sea of Japan near the island of Hokkaido. It had a magnitude of 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale and a maximum felt intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Mercalli intensity scale. It triggered a major tsunami that caused deaths on Hokkaidō and in southeastern Russia, with a total of 230 fatalities recorded. The island of Okushiri was hardest hit, with 165 casualties from the earthquake, the tsunami and a large landslide.

The 1994 Kuril Islands earthquake – also known as the Hokkaido Toho-oki earthquake – occurred on October 5 at 00:23:00 local time. The magnitude of this earthquake was put at Mw8.3, or MJMA8.1. The epicenter was located at about 70 km east of Shikotan Island. The shaking and tsunami caused road and building damage. At least 10 people were reported dead.

<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 1959 Kamchatka earthquake occurred on May 4 at 19:15 local time with a moment magnitude of 8.0–8.3, and a surface wave magnitude of 8.25. The epicenter was near the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russian SFSR, USSR. Building damage was reported in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The maximum intensity was VIII (Damaging) on the Medvedev–Sponheuer–Karnik scale. The intensity in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was about VIII MSK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1943 Alahan Panjang earthquakes</span> Earthquakes in Indonesia

The 1943 Alahan Panjang earthquakes occurred on June 8 and June 9 UTC in Sumatra, then under Japanese occupation. This was an earthquake doublet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1741 eruption of Oshima–Ōshima and the Kampo tsunami</span> Volcanic eruption and tsunami off the coast of Hokkaido

The devastating eruption of Oshima–Ōshima began on 18 August 1741 and ended on 1 May the next year. Eleven days into the eruption, the Kampo tsunami with estimated maximum heights of over 90 m (300 ft) swept across neighboring islands in Japan and the Korean Peninsula. The eruption and its resulting tsunami killed at least 1,400 people. Damage was extreme along the coast of Japan, while in Korea, the tsunami damaged fishing boats.

The Nemuro-Oki earthquake in scientific literature, occurred on June 17 at 12:55 local time. It struck with an epicenter just off the Nemuro Peninsula in northern Hokkaidō, Japan. It measured 7.8–7.9 on the moment magnitude scale (Mw ), 8.1 on the tsunami magnitude scale (Mt ) and 7.4 on the Japan Meteorological Agency magnitude scale (MJMA ).

On April 13, 1923 at 15:31 UTC, an earthquake occurred off the northern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the USSR, present-day Russia. The earthquake had a surface-wave magnitude (Ms ) of 6.8–7.3 and an estimated moment magnitude (Mw ) of 7.0–8.2. This event came just two months after a slightly larger earthquake with an epicenter struck south of the April event. Both earthquakes were tsunamigenic although the latter generated wave heights far exceeding that of the one in February. After two foreshocks of "moderate force", the main event caused considerable damage. Most of the 36 casualties were the result of the tsunami inundation rather than the earthquake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1982 Urakawa earthquake</span>

The 1982 Urakawa earthquake was a Mw 6.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of Urakawa, Japan, on 11:32 (JST), March 21, 1982. The epicenter was 42.1°N 142.6°E. The earthquake was the largest earthquake in the history of the region. The earthquake caused 167 injuries and damage in Tomakomai and Sapporo.

The 1841 Kamchatka earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean on May 17 at 08:00 local time. The earthquake had an epicenter off the Russian Far East's Kamchatka Peninsula. With an estimated moment magnitude of 9.0 or higher, it is one of the largest to strike the region. A large tsunami with up to 15 meters in run-up along the coast.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 ISC (2015), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009), Version 2.0, International Seismological Centre
  2. ↑ "M 8.3 – Kuril Islands". United States Geological Survey.
  3. ↑ PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog, Version 2008_06.1, United States Geological Survey, September 4, 2009, archived from the original on 2020-03-13
  4. ↑ "Tsunami Event: KURIL ISLANDS". NGDC.
  5. ↑ MacInnes, B.T., Bourgeois, J., Pinegina, T.K., Kravchunovskays, E., 2009. Tsunami geomorphology: erosion and deposition from the 15 November 2006 Kuril Island tsunami: Geology, v. 37, p. 995–998.
  6. ↑ Ammon, Charles J.; Kanamori, Hiroo; Lay, Thorne (2008), "A great earthquake doublet and seismic stress transfer cycle in the central Kuril islands" (PDF), Nature, 451 (7178): 561–5, Bibcode:2008Natur.451..561A, doi:10.1038/nature06521, PMID   18235499, S2CID   4317389 .
  7. ↑ Central Kuril Island Tsunami in Crescent City, California Archived 2010-02-26 at the Wayback Machine University of Southern California
  8. ↑ MacInnes et al., 2009, see above.
  9. ↑ Bourgeois, J. and MacInnes, B.T., 2010. Tsunami boulder transport and other dramatic effects of the 15 November 2006 central Kuril Islands tsunami on the island of Matua: Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementbände Volume 54, Supplementary Issue 3 (2010), p. 175–195 doi : 10.1127/0372-8854/2010/0054S3-0024.
  10. ↑ MacInnes, B.T., Pinegina, T.K., Bourgeois, J., Razhegaeva, N.G., Kaistrenko, V.M., and Kravchunovskaya, E.A., 2009, Field survey and geological effects of the 15 November 2006 Kuril tsunami in the middle Kuril Islands, Pure and Applied Geophysics v. 166, doi : 10.1007/s00024-008-0428-3.
  11. ↑ MacInnes, B.T., 2010 Ph.D. dissertation, University of Washington.

Sources

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.