Sunda megathrust

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File:SundaMegathrustSeismicity.PNG
Variation of seismicity with depth across the Sunda Trench subduction zone, low-angle part is the Sunda megathrust – September 2007 Sumatra earthquake shown by star

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.[1] 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 230,000 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.

Tectonic setting

File:Plate setting Sunda megathrust.png
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The subducting plate consists of two protoplates, the Indian and Australian plates. Similarly, the overriding plate consists of two microplates, the Sunda and Burma plates. The relative motion of the subducting and overriding plates varies slightly along strike due to these complexities but is always strongly oblique. The strike-slip component of the oblique convergence is accommodated by displacement on the Great Sumatran fault, while the dip-slip component is taken up by the Sunda megathrust.

Megathrust geometry

The Sunda megathrust is curviplanar, forming an arc in map view and, at least in Sumatra, increasing in dip from 5°-7° near the trench, then increasing gradually from 15°-20° beneath the Mentawai Islands to about 30° below the coastline of Sumatra.[2]

Earthquakes

Rupture areas for the 1861, 1833 and 2004 earthquakes and area of main shock and aftershocks for the 2005 event, showing similarity to 1861 quake

At this plate boundary, earthquakes occur along the Sunda megathrust and within both the subducting and overriding plates. The largest earthquakes are generated when the megathrust itself ruptures. Studies of both recent and historical earthquakes show that the megathrust is segmented.[1] The largest earthquakes occur on separate 'patches' along the megathrust surface (1797, 1833, 1861, 2004, 2005 & 2007), with smaller events occurring at the boundaries between these patches (1935, 1984, 2000 & 2002).[1] The rupture area of the 1861 event appears to be very similar to that for the 2005 event, suggesting that it can be regarded as a repeat event. The 2007 event is interpreted to be a partial failure of the rupture area of the 1833 event.[1]

The 2004 earthquake ruptured an enormous segment of the megathrust surface. Research into evidence for previous events of this size suggests that they are rare, with two candidate earlier events occurring soon after AD 1290–1400 and AD 780–990.[3]

The Java-Bali segment of the megathrust does not appear to be associated with great earthquakes, possibly due to mainly aseismic slip.[4]

List of Sunda megathrust earthquakes

This table lists Sunda Megathrust quakes with magnitudes of 7 or greater, or any known to have caused deaths. Historic records before 2004 are incomplete.

Date/Time‡ Location Coordinates Fatalities Magnitude Comments Sources
1797-02-10 just north of Siberut, Mentawai islands Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 300 8.4 See 1797 Sumatra earthquake [5][6][7]
1833-11-25 50 km NE of North Pagai, Mentawai islands Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. "numerous victims" 8.8–9.2 Mw See 1833 Sumatra earthquake [5][7][8]
1861-02-16 Nias Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 905 8.5 Caused major tsunami. See 1861 Sumatra earthquake. [9][10]
1935-12-28 02:35 just west of the Batu Islands Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 7.7 See 1935 Sumatra earthquake [11]
1984-11-17 06:49 Between Nias and the Batu Islands Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 7.2 See 1984 Northern Sumatra earthquake [12]
2000-06-04 16:28 70 km NNW of Enggano Island Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 46 7.9 See 2000 Sumatra earthquake [11]
2002-11-02 01:26 8 km north of Simeulue Regency Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 3 7.3 See 2002 Sumatra earthquake [11]
2004-12-26 00:58 50 km north of Simeulue Regency Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 229,000 9.3 Mw (USGS) See 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2005-03-28 16:09 Bangkaru, Banyak Islands Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1,303 8.6 Mw (HRV) See 2005 Sumatra earthquake
2007-09-12 11:10 125 km SW of Bengkulu Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 25 8.4 Mw (HRV) See September 2007 Sumatra earthquake
2007-09-12 23:49:04 UTC 205 km NW of Bengkulu Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. - 7.9 Mw (USGS) See September 2007 Sumatra earthquake
2007-09-13 03:35:26 UTC 165 km SSW of Padang Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. - 7.0 Mw (USGS) See September 2007 Sumatra earthquake
2008-02-20 08:36:35 UTC 310 km SSE of Banda Aceh Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 3 7.4 Mw (USGS) [13]
2008-02-25 08:36:35 UTC 160 km SSW of Padang Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 7.2 Mw (USGS) [14]
2009-09-30 10:16:10 45 km WNW of Padang Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 6,234 7.6 Mw (USGS) See 2009 Sumatra earthquakes
2010-04-06 22:15:02 UTC 215 km SW of Medan Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 62 injuries 7.8 Mw (USGS) See April 2010 Sumatra earthquake
2010-05-09 05:59:42 UTC 215 km SSE of Banda Aceh Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. - 7.2 Mw (USGS) [15]
2010-10-25 14:42:22 UTC 240 km W of Bengkulu Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 435 & 100 missing 7.7 Mw (USGS) See October 2010 Sumatra earthquake and tsunami [16]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2008/us2008nran/#details
  14. ↑ http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2008/us2008nwbg/
  15. ↑ http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2010/us2010wbaq/
  16. ↑ http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2012/usc0007ir5/#details
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