September 2007 Sumatra earthquakes

Last updated
September 2007 Sumatra earthquakes
Sumatra 2007 earthquakes map.gif
Indonesia Sumatra relief location map.jpg
Bullseye1.png
Indonesia relief location map.jpg
Bullseye1.png
UTC  time 
 A: 2007-09-12 11:10:26
 B: 2007-09-12 23:49:03
ISC  event 
 A: 13203322
 B: 13203366
USGS-ANSS  
 A: ComCat
 B: ComCat
Local date12 September 2007 (2007-09-12)
13 September 2007 (2007-09-13)
Local time 
 A: 18:10
 B: 06:49
Magnitude 
 A: 8.4 Mw
 B: 7.9 Mw
Depth34.0 kilometres (21.1 mi)
Epicenter 4°24′25″S101°30′07″E / 4.407°S 101.502°E / -4.407; 101.502
2°34′19″S100°45′40″E / 2.572°S 100.761°E / -2.572; 100.761
Type Megathrust
Areas affected Indonesia
Singapore
Malaysia
Thailand
Max. intensity MMI VI (Strong)
TsunamiYes
Casualties25 dead, 161 injured [1]

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

Contents

Timeline

The first earthquake occurred at 11:10:26 UTC (18:10 local time) on 12 September 2007, and was an 8.4 Mw earthquake on the moment magnitude scale. [2] It had a focal depth of 34 km, at 4°31′12″S101°22′26″E / 4.520°S 101.374°E / -4.520; 101.374 , about 130 km southwest of Bengkulu on the southwest coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, and some 600 km west-northwest of Indonesia's capital city, Jakarta. It was followed by several earthquakes of magnitude 5 through 6 along the same fault, west of Sumatra.

The second largest earthquake, 7.9  Mw, [2] [3] occurred later the same day at 23:49:04 UTC (06:49:04 local time the following day). It was centred about 35 km underground, at 2°37′30″S100°50′28″E / 2.625°S 100.841°E / -2.625; 100.841 , some 185 km (115 mi) south-southeast of Padang, Indonesia and about 205 km northwest of Bengkulu (about 225 km northwest of the magnitude 8.4 earthquake).

After further aftershocks above magnitude 5, a third large earthquake, 7.0  Mw, occurred at 03:35:28 UTC (10:35:28 local time) on 13 September. [4] It was centred about 10 km underground, at 2°07′48″S99°37′37″E / 2.130°S 99.627°E / -2.130; 99.627 , some 165 km south-southwest of Padang and 345 km west-northwest of Bengkulu. It is regarded as an aftershock of the two larger earthquakes. [4]

Aftershocks continued into 13 September and 14 September, with more earthquakes ranging up to magnitude 6.4. [5] Most of the aftershocks have been northwest of the original magnitude 8.4 earthquake. A 6.7 struck Southern Sumatra on Sept 20, 2007.

Tidal buoys [6] positioned in the Indian Ocean and other seismic tools have led scientists to issue a series of tsunami bulletins. [7]

Effects

The tremors of the 8.4 Mw earthquake lasted for several minutes. It caused buildings to sway in Jakarta, and some buildings were reported to have collapsed in the city of Bengkulu, Bengkulu Province, about 100 km (62 mi) from the epicenter. Tremors felt in Jakarta were described as being "violent". [8] It was reported that several high-rise buildings were evacuated. [9] The earthquake also led to a power outage in Bengkulu, which crippled communications. [9] The death toll of the earthquakes is 25 with 161 people injured. [1]

Tremors were felt in neighbouring countries as far away as Southern Thailand. [10] [11] In Singapore, which is about 670 km (416.3 mi) from the epicenter, the tremor was felt at around 11:10 UTC (19:10 local time). [12] Most of the Central and Eastern part of Singapore had felt the tremor. [13] In Peninsular Malaysia, tremors were reported after 19:15 local time, including Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Johor Bahru, Malacca and Penang. Like Singapore, the tremors were most severe on high-rises, resulting in minor panic and evacuations. No casualties were reported in the country, as of 13 September. [14] [15]

Tsunami

Sea level readings indicated that a tsunami was generated. A total of 4 tsunami alerts were issued in 24 hours. After the first, and largest, earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a tsunami alert for much of the Indian Ocean basin. A tsunami approximately 1 metre high was reported at Padang, Indonesia. [16] A 1.5 metre tsunami was observed in Sikakap beach on South Pagai Island. [17] A small tsunami, some 15 cm high, was reported at the Cocos Islands. [18] Sumatra was taken off tsunami alert after two hours. A weak tsunami caused some damage in Serangai, located north of Bengkulu. The tsunami had a flow depth of 3.5 m (11 ft) and maximum run-up of 5 m (16 ft), measured on a cliff top. [19]

Tsunami warnings were also issued in India and other countries around the Indian Ocean soon after the earthquake. The Government of India asked the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and the union territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry to be on high alert. [20] By late 12 September, the tsunami warning was recalled. [21] Similarly, a tsunami alert was issued in Peninsular Malaysia at 20:50 (local time) for the coastal areas of Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Penang; the alert was lifted two hours later. However, Malaysian authorities had detected a 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) high tsunami heading away from the epicenter of the earthquake. [14]

Tectonic summary

September 2007 Sumatra quake.gif

According to the US Geological Survey, [22] the earthquake was caused by thrust faulting on the boundary between the Australian Plate and the Sunda Plate. At the location of the earthquake, offshore of the west coast of Sumatra, the Australia plate moves northeast with respect to the Sunda Plate at a velocity of about 69 mm/year, oblique to the orientation of the plate boundary. The component of plate motion perpendicular to the boundary produces thrust faulting on the offshore plate-boundary.

The magnitude 7.9 earthquake was also a result of thrust faulting on the same plate boundary. It occurred about 225 km northwest of the magnitude 8.4 earthquake, at the northern end of the aftershock zone. [3]

The magnitude 8.4 earthquake was the most powerful earthquake of 2007 to date, more powerful than the two March 2007 Sumatra earthquakes nearby and the 2007 Peru earthquake. It was the second most powerful earthquake since the magnitude 9.3 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, exceeded only by the magnitude 8.6 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake. The two largest earthquakes were the fourth and fifth earthquakes with magnitude 7.9 or greater to have occurred on or near the plate boundaries offshore of western Sumatra in 7 years, the others being the magnitude 7.9 earthquake of 4 June 2000; the magnitude 9.3 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on 26 December 2004; and the magnitude 8.6 Nias–Simeulue earthquake on 28 March 2005.

According to data from the Japanese PALSAR microwave sensor aboard the Daichi(ALOS) satellite, South Pagai Island was uplifted, creating 6 new islands, and exposing previously submerged coral reefs as well as enlarging existing islands. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<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">2009 Dusky Sound earthquake</span> Earthquake in New Zealand

The 2009 Dusky Sound earthquake was a Mw 7.8 earthquake that struck a remote region of Fiordland, New Zealand, on 15 July at 21:22 local time. It had an initially–reported depth of 12 km (7.5 mi), and an epicentre near Dusky Sound in Fiordland National Park, which is 160 km (99 mi) north-west of Invercargill. It was the country's largest earthquake magnitude since the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, but caused only minor damage and there were no casualties. A tsunami accompanied the event and had a maximum measured run-up of 230 cm (91 in).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Sumatra earthquakes</span> Earthquake in Indonesia

The first of the 2009 Sumatra earthquakes occurred on 30 September off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia with a moment magnitude of 7.6 at 17:16:10 local time. The epicenter was 45 kilometres (28 mi) west-northwest of Padang, West Sumatra, and 220 kilometres (140 mi) southwest of Pekanbaru, Riau. Government and authorities confirmed 1,115 dead, 1,214 severely injured and 1,688 slightly injured. The most deaths occurred in the areas of Padang Pariaman (675), Padang (313), Agam (80) and Pariaman (37). In addition, around 135,000 houses were severely damaged, 65,000 houses were moderately damaged and 79,000 houses were slightly damaged. An estimated 250,000 families have been affected by the earthquake through the total or partial loss of their homes and livelihoods.

<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 2012 Indian Ocean earthquakes were magnitude 8.6 and 8.2 Mw  undersea earthquakes that struck near the Indonesian province of Aceh on 11 April at 15:38 local time. Initially, authorities feared that the initial earthquake would cause a tsunami and warnings were issued across the Indian Ocean; however, these warnings were subsequently cancelled. These were unusually strong intraplate earthquakes and the largest strike-slip earthquake ever recorded.

The 2014 Iquique earthquake struck off the coast of Chile on 1 April, with a moment magnitude of 8.2, at 20:46 local time. The epicenter of the earthquake was approximately 95 kilometres (59 mi) northwest of Iquique. The mainshock was preceded by a number of moderate to large shocks and was followed by a large number of moderate to very large aftershocks, including a M7.7 event on 3 April. The megathrust earthquake triggered a tsunami of up to 2.11 metres (6.9 ft) that hit Iquique at 21:05 local time. Similar-sized tsunamis were also reported to have hit the coasts of Pisagua and Arica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Sumatra earthquake</span> Earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia

The 2016 Sumatra earthquake was a 7.8 magnitude earthquake which struck on 2 March 2016 in the Indian Ocean, approximately 800 kilometers southwest of Sumatra in Indonesia. Tsunami warnings were issued for Indonesia and Australia, but were withdrawn two hours later. There were no deaths directly related to the earthquake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Chiapas earthquake</span> 8.2 Mw earthquake and tsunami off of Mexico and Guatemala

The 2017 Chiapas earthquake struck at 23:49 CDT on 7 September in the Gulf of Tehuantepec off the southern coast of Mexico near the state of Chiapas, approximately 87 kilometres (54 mi) southwest of Pijijiapan, with a Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The moment magnitude was estimated to be Mw8.2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Gulf of Alaska earthquake</span> Earthquake in Gulf of Alaska

On January 23, 2018, at 00:31 AKST, an earthquake occurred in the Gulf of Alaska near Kodiak Island. The earthquake, measured at 7.9 on the Mw scale, was approximately 280 kilometers (170 mi) southeast of Kodiak and happened at a depth of 25 kilometers (16 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Caribbean earthquake</span> Earthquake between Jamaica and Cuba

At 2:10 p.m. local time (UTC-5) on 28 January 2020, an earthquake of 7.7 Mw struck on the north side of the Cayman Trough, north of Jamaica and west of the southern tip of Cuba, with the epicenter being 80 miles (130 km) ESE of Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands or 83 miles (134 km) north of Montego Bay, Jamaica. Schools in Jamaica and buildings in Miami were evacuated after shaking was observed in parts of the U.S. state of Florida. Light shaking was also reported on the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. It is the largest earthquake in the Caribbean since 1946. A tsunami warning for the Caribbean Sea was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and later withdrawn.

An earthquake struck the Mexican state of Oaxaca at 10:29 local time on June 23, 2020, with a magnitude of 7.4 Mw. The epicenter was 19 miles (31 km) from San Miguel del Puerto and 7.5 miles (12.1 km) south-southwest of Santa María Zapotitlán. The quake was felt by an estimated 49 million people in Mexico and Guatemala, with some tremors felt as far away as 640 kilometers (400 mi). Thousands of houses in Oaxaca were damaged and 10 deaths were reported. A tsunami warning was issued for southern Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Solomon Islands earthquakes</span> Seismic events

On 9 December 2016 at 4:38 a.m. local time, the Solomon Islands region was rocked by an Mww 7.8 earthquake, centred 30 km off San Cristobal Island, about 61 km southwest of Kirakira, the capital of Makira-Ulawa Province. Initially registering magnitude 8.0, later downgraded to 7.8, the temblor prompted tsunami warnings that kept countries surrounding the Coral, Tasman and Solomon Sea on high alert, but was later cancelled. A large aftershock of magnitude 6.9 occurred shortly afterwards. This earthquake was largely felt, waking many residents who later ran to high ground for fears of a potential tsunami. The earthquake killed a child and affected some 34,000 people in Makira, South Malaita and Guadalcanal Island where many had lost their homes or had no access to basic needs. Earthquakes are common in this region, with little or no fatalities. This earthquake is tied with three other magnitude 7.8 earthquakes for the second largest earthquake of 2016. On 17 December, Solomon Islands would be rattled again by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake, this time 54 km east of Taron, Papua New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Craig, Alaska earthquake</span> Earthquake in Alaska and British Columbia

The 2013 Craig, Alaska earthquake struck on January 5, at 12:58 am (UTC–7) near the city of Craig and Hydaburg, on Prince of Wales Island. The Mw 7.5 earthquake came nearly three months after an Mw  7.8 quake struck Haida Gwaii on October 28, in 2012. The quake prompted a regional tsunami warning to British Columbia and Alaska, but it was later cancelled. Due to the remote location of the quake, there were no reports of casualties or damage.

<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.

The 2021 Kermadec Islands earthquakes were a series of earthquakes with magnitudes of 8.1 and 7.4 that occurred at 19:28:31 UTC on 4 March 2021. The epicentres were located southeast of Raoul Island in the Kermadec Islands, part of the New Zealand outlying islands. The main magnitude 8.1 earthquake was preceded by a magnitude 7.4 foreshock and followed by a magnitude 6.1 aftershock. A separate, unrelated magnitude 7.3 earthquake occurred off the coast of the North Island of New Zealand, approximately 900 km to the south, several hours before the main quakes. More than a dozen aftershocks exceeded magnitude 6.

<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.

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 Stefano Lorito, Fabrizio Romano, Alessio Piatanesi, Enzo Boschi (2008). "Source process of the September 12, 2007, MW 8.4 southern Sumatra earthquake from tsunami tide gauge record inversion". Geophysical Research Letters. 35 (2). Bibcode:2008GeoRL..35.2310L. doi: 10.1029/2007GL032661 .{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 ISC (2022), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1904–2018), Version 9.1, International Seismological Centre
  3. 1 2 ANSS. "Sumatra 2007: M 7.9 - 87 km SW of Sungai Penuh, Indonesia". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  4. 1 2 ANSS. "Sumatra 2007: M 7.0 - 153 km SSW of Padang, Indonesia". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  5. Latest Quakes +5.0M Archived October 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine USGS
  6. DART Buoy Station 23401 - 600 NM West-Northwest of Phuket, Thailand
  7. Message indian.2007.09.13.002807 Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, NWS, NWS PTWC
  8. Eyewitnesses: Sumatra earthquake, BBC News
  9. 1 2 Powerful quake shakes Indonesia, BBC News
  10. "Tsunami alert issued after Indonesia quake: US centre". Archived from the original on 2017-08-20. Retrieved 2007-09-12.
  11. Event 2007hear: View Map Archived September 15, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  12. "Singapore buildings sway after strong quake hits Indonesia". Archived from the original on 2017-08-20. Retrieved 2007-09-12.
  13. Map Archived October 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  14. 1 2 "8.2 magnitude quake sparks tsunami warnings". Sun2Surf . 2007-09-13. Archived from the original on 2010-03-05. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
  15. "Quake felt in Malaysia". The Star . 2007-09-13. Archived from the original on 2008-04-24. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
  16. Powerful earthquake triggers tsunami in western Indonesia, The Jakarta Post
  17. Six dead, dozens injured in Indonesian quakes, Agence France-Presse via ABS-CBN Corporation. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  18. Tsunami recorded at Cocos Island, Herald Sun
  19. National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS), Global Historical Tsunami Database (Data Set), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
  20. India on tsunami alert after quake near Indonesia, CNN-IBN
  21. Tsunami alert withdrawn. The Hindu
  22. ANSS. "Sumatra 2007: M 8.4 - 122 km SW of Bengkulu, Indonesia". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  23. (in Japanese) Southern Sumatra Earthquake in 2007, coastal change, GSI Archived 2007-11-15 at the Wayback Machine

4°26′17″S101°22′01″E / 4.438°S 101.367°E / -4.438; 101.367

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Geological Survey .