January 2010 Solomon Islands earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Solomon Islands earthquake was a magnitude 7.1 Mw
earthquake
that occurred in the Solomon Islands
at 22:36:30 (UTC) on January 3, 2010, resulting in a tsunami
measuring approximately 10 feet in some parts of the islands. The earthquake was the largest in a series of quakes to strike the Solomon Islands over the preceding days. The 7.1 mainshock was preceded by a 6.6 magnitude foreshock
some 48 minutes previous.
As many as 1,000 people were left homeless on the island of Rendova
after the earthquake and tsunami destroyed approximately 200 homes.
and 295 km (183 mi) north west of Honiara
, Guadalcanal
.
The earthquake was centered under the sea floor near the town of Gizo, which was heavily damaged in the 2007 Solomon Islands earthquake
.
Approximately 1,000 residents have lost their residences, out of the total Rendovan population of just 3,600 people. The village of Retavo, which has a population of approximately 20 people, was hit by a 10 foot tsunami wave. Another village, Baniata, reported that sixteen homes were destroyed and thirty-two were damaged by the earthquake and tsunami.
Seven fisherman from the village of Viru on Marovo Island
, Western Province
are reportedly missing after the tsunami.
Loti Yates, a Solomon Islands disaster management official based in Honiara
, told the media, "It could be several hundred houses have been damaged ... but that is still not verified. There are two to three villages where the situation could be much worse."
Ten foreign tourists were evacuated from an eco-resort on the island of Tetepare.
Solomon Islands police helicopters photographed the tsunami damage and landslides on both Tetepare and Rendova following the quake.
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
that occurred in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
at 22:36:30 (UTC) on January 3, 2010, resulting in a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
measuring approximately 10 feet in some parts of the islands. The earthquake was the largest in a series of quakes to strike the Solomon Islands over the preceding days. The 7.1 mainshock was preceded by a 6.6 magnitude foreshock
Foreshock
A foreshock is an earthquake that occurs before a larger seismic event and is related to it in both time and space. The designation of an earthquake as foreshock, mainshock or aftershock is only possible after the event....
some 48 minutes previous.
As many as 1,000 people were left homeless on the island of Rendova
Rendova Island
Rendova Island is an island, part of the New Georgia Islands of Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, east of Papua New Guinea. There are two indigenous languages spoken on Rendova Island: the Austronesian language Ughele in the north, and the Papuan language Touo in the south.The black-sand...
after the earthquake and tsunami destroyed approximately 200 homes.
Earthquake location
The location was 105 km (65 mi) south east of Gizo, 210 km (130 mi) south west of Dadali, Santa IsabelSanta Isabel Island
Santa Isabel Island is the longest in the Solomon Islands, South Pacific, and the largest in the group of islands in Isabel Province.-Location and geographic data:...
and 295 km (183 mi) north west of Honiara
Honiara
Honiara, population 49,107 , 78,190 , is the capital of the Solomon Islands and of Guadalcanal Province, although it is a separately administered town...
, Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
.
The earthquake was centered under the sea floor near the town of Gizo, which was heavily damaged in the 2007 Solomon Islands earthquake
2007 Solomon Islands earthquake
The 2007 Solomon Islands earthquake took place on 2 April 2007, near the provincial capital of Gizo on Ghizo Island, in the Solomon Islands. Its magnitude was calculated by the United States Geological Survey as being at 8.1 on the moment magnitude scale...
.
Aftermath
The earthquake triggered landslides and tsunamis on the islands of Rendova and Tetepare. A tsunami measuring up to 10 feet (3 meters) struck Rendova, destroying as many as 200 homes and leaving one-third of Rendova's population homeless.Approximately 1,000 residents have lost their residences, out of the total Rendovan population of just 3,600 people. The village of Retavo, which has a population of approximately 20 people, was hit by a 10 foot tsunami wave. Another village, Baniata, reported that sixteen homes were destroyed and thirty-two were damaged by the earthquake and tsunami.
Seven fisherman from the village of Viru on Marovo Island
Marovo Island
Marovo Island is an island in the Solomon Islands; it is located in the Western Province....
, Western Province
Western Province (Solomon Islands)
Western Province is the largest of the provinces of the Solomon Islands. The area is renowned for its beautiful tropical islands, excellent diving and snorkelling, coral reefs and WWII wrecks, ecotourism lodges, and head-hunting shrines...
are reportedly missing after the tsunami.
Loti Yates, a Solomon Islands disaster management official based in Honiara
Honiara
Honiara, population 49,107 , 78,190 , is the capital of the Solomon Islands and of Guadalcanal Province, although it is a separately administered town...
, told the media, "It could be several hundred houses have been damaged ... but that is still not verified. There are two to three villages where the situation could be much worse."
Ten foreign tourists were evacuated from an eco-resort on the island of Tetepare.
Solomon Islands police helicopters photographed the tsunami damage and landslides on both Tetepare and Rendova following the quake.
List of shocks
Only shocks with magnitude 5.4 or higher are listed. Shocks with magnitude 6.0 or higher are highlighted in light blue. The main shock with moment magnitude 7.1 Mw is highlighted in dark blue.| Date (YYYY-MM-DD) | Time (UTC) | Latitude Latitude In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a... | Longitude Longitude Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda .... | Depth | Magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-01-03 | 21:48:06 | 08.732° S | 157.496° E | 26 km (16 mi) | 6.6 (Mw) |
| 2010-01-03 | 22:36:28 | 08.800° S | 157.370° E | 25 km (16 mi) | 7.1 (Mw) |
| 2010-01-04 | 04:17:48 | 08.909° S | 157.619° E | 12.1 km (8 mi) | 5.8 (Mw) |
| 2010-01-04 | 11:28:22 | 08.379° S | 157.113° E | 21.5 km (13 mi) | 5.7 (Mw) |
| 2010-01-05 | 12:15:33 | 09.056° S | 157.585° E | 18.7 km (12 mi) | 6.8 (Mw) |
| 2010-01-05 | 12:25:32 | 08.979° S | 158.091° E | 35 km (22 mi) | 5.4 (Mw) |
| 2010-01-05 | 13:10:02 | 08.877° S | 157.621° E | 35 km (22 mi) | 5.4 (Mw) |
| 2010-01-05 | 13:11:43 | 09.094° S | 157.941° E | 35 km (22 mi) | 6.0 (Mw) |
| 2010-01-09 | 05:51:34 | 09.169° S | 157.614° E | 35 km (22 mi) | 6.3 (Mw) |
| 2010-01-09 | 07:04:36 | 09.150° S | 157.645° E | 35 km (22 mi) | 5.4 (Mw) |
See also
- 2007 Solomon Islands earthquake2007 Solomon Islands earthquakeThe 2007 Solomon Islands earthquake took place on 2 April 2007, near the provincial capital of Gizo on Ghizo Island, in the Solomon Islands. Its magnitude was calculated by the United States Geological Survey as being at 8.1 on the moment magnitude scale...
- June 2010 Solomon Islands earthquake