2009 Vanuatu earthquakes
  | |
| Date | 22:03:15, October 7, 2009 (UTC) |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | 7.8 Mw[1] |
| Depth | 35 km (22 mi) |
| Epicenter | 12°33′14″S 166°19′12″E / 12.554°S 166.320°ECoordinates: 12°33′14″S 166°19′12″E / 12.554°S 166.320°E |
| Areas affected | Vanuatu |
| Tsunami | none |
| Casualties | 0 |
The 2009 Vanuatu earthquakes were a series of large submarine earthquakes that took place to the west of the Torres Islands of Vanuatu on October 7, 2009 UTC. A 7.6 Mw earthquake, at 22:03 UTC,[2] was followed by a 7.8 Mw event 15 minutes later at 22:18 UTC,[1] and a 7.3 Mw event at 23:13 UTC.[3] The similar size and close timing of the first two events has been dubbed as an earthquake doublet.[4]
Effects
A tsunami warning was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre for 11 nations, including Papua New Guinea and island nations in the south-west Pacific, including Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. The warning was cancelled after tsunamis of up to 10 cm were recorded in Vanuatu.[5][6]
The US Geological Survey said that the epicentre of the first quake was located 260 km (162 mi) S of Lata, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands and 295 km (183 mi) NNW of Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu at a depth of 35 km (22 mi). It was reported that the earthquakes were felt in Luganville, Espiritu Santo[7] (MM IV according to USGS), and people in Espiritu Santo ran to higher places.[8] Evacuation was also taken on the eastern shore of Grande Terre and in the nearby Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia.[9]
List of shocks
Only shocks with magnitude 5.5 or higher are listed.[10] Shocks with magnitude 6.0 or higher are highlighted in light blue. The main shock with moment magnitude 7.8 Mw is highlighted in dark blue.
| Date (YYYY-MM-DD) | Time (UTC) | Latitude | Longitude | Depth | Magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10-07 | 22:03:15 | 13.052° S | 166.187° E | 35.0 km (22 mi) | 7.7 (Mw) |
| 2009-10-07 | 22:18:26 | 12.554° S | 166.320° E | 35.0 km (22 mi) | 7.8 (Mw) |
| 2009-10-07 | 23:13:49 | 13.145° S | 166.297° E | 33.0 km (21 mi) | 7.3 (Mw) |
| 2009-10-07 | 23:48:52 | 13.489° S | 166.408° E | 29.5 km (18 mi) | 5.7 (Mw) |
| 2009-10-08 | 01:59:20 | 11.923° S | 165.892° E | 35.0 km (22 mi) | 5.8 (Mw) |
| 2009-10-08 | 02:12:39 | 11.650° S | 166.170° E | 35.0 km (22 mi) | 6.6 (Mw) |
| 2009-10-08 | 08:28:48 | 13.298° S | 165.951° E | 35.0 km (22 mi) | 6.8 (Mw) |
| 2009-10-08 | 08:34:37 | 12.276° S | 166.448° E | 35.0 km (22 mi) | 6.5 (Mw) |
| 2009-10-08 | 21:16:12 | 12.879° S | 166.200° E | 11.3 km (7 mi) | 6.2 (Mw) |
| 2009-10-08 | 23:35:50 | 12.488° S | 166.501° E | 81.2 km (50 mi) | 5.6 (Mw) |
| 2009-10-09 | 13:12:32 | 13.335° S | 166.461° E | 29.7 km (18 mi) | 5.5 (Mw) |
| 2009-10-10 | 14:25:17 | 14.220° S | 166.665° E | 48.1 km (30 mi) | 5.8 (Mw) |
| 2009-10-11 | 04:47:46 | 13.037° S | 166.152° E | 10.0 km (6 mi) | 5.6 (Mw) |
| 2009-10-12 | 09:37:17 | 12.393° S | 166.533° E | 10.0 km (6 mi) | 6.4 (Mw) |
| 2009-10-23 | 15:14:13 | 12.210° S | 166.065° E | 35.0 km (22 mi) | 6.0 (Mw) |
References
- 1 2 "Magnitude 7.8 - VANUATU". USGS. 2009-10-07. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ↑ "Magnitude 7.6 - VANUATU". USGS. 2009-10-07. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
- ↑ "Magnitude 7.3 - VANUATU". USGS. 2009-10-07. Archived from the original on 9 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
- ↑ "Magnitude 7.8 - VANUATU #Summary". USGS. 2009-10-07. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
- ↑ "Pacific quakes stir panic but tsunamis tiny". alertnet.org. 2009-10-07. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ↑ "Tsunami warnings cancelled after twin quakes". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2009-10-08. Archived from the original on 11 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ↑ "Pacific islanders panic and flee after powerful earthquakes off Vanuatu form small tsunami". mcall.com. 2009-10-08. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ↑ "Pacific Quakes Stir Panic But Tsunamis Tiny". nytimes.com. 2009-10-08. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ↑ Malkin, Bonnie (2009-10-08). "Tsunami warning issued for Pacific as strong earthquake strikes Vanuatu". London: telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ↑ "Earthquake List for Map of Australia Region". earthquakes.usgs.gov. 2009-10-08. Archived from the original on 4 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
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