List of earthquakes in Vanuatu

Earthquakes in Vanuatu are frequent and are sometimes accompanied by tsunami, though these events are not often destructive. The archipelago, which was formerly known as New Hebrides, lies atop a complex and active plate boundary in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

Tectonic setting

The primary tectonic feature of the 1,200 km (750 mi) island chain is the New Hebrides Trench, the convergent boundary of the Australian and Pacific Plates. Along the Wadati–Benioff zone, earthquake activity has been observed as shallow, intermediate, and deep-focus events at depths of up to 700 km (430 mi). Volcanic activity is also present along this north-northwest trending and northeast-dipping oceanic trench.[1]

While much of the island arc experiences intermediate-depth earthquakes along a Wadati–Benioff zone that dips steeply at 70°, the area adjacent to the d'Entrecasteaux Ridge does not. There is a corresponding gap in seismicity that occurs below 50 km (31 mi) where it intrudes into the subduction zone from the west. According to the NUVEL-1 global relative plate motion model, convergence is occurring at roughly 8 cm (3.1 in) per year. The uncertainty, which also affects the Tonga arc, is due to the influence of spreading at the North Fiji Basin. Of the 58 M7 or greater events that occurred between 1909 and 2001, few were studied.[2]

Earthquakes
Date Region Mag. MMI Deaths Injuries Comments Ref
2018-12-16 Ambrym 5.5 Mw VI Several houses destroyed [3][4]
2018-08-21 Pentecost 6.5 Mw VII 1 Minor damage [5]
2010-08-10 Shefa 7.3 Mw VII Buildings damaged/Power outages [6][7]
2009-10-07Torba7.4 MwVIII
2009-10-07Torba7.8 MwVIITsunami
2009-10-07Torba7.7 MwIX
2009-06-03Efate6.3 MwVI4Landslides[8]
2009-05-29Efate5.7 MwVI10Landslides / damage[9]
2007-08-01 Sanma 7.2 Mw VII 1 Many buildings damaged [10][11]
2002-11-28Torba5.9 MwVII3Landslides / damage[12]
2002-01-03Efate7.2 MwXSeveralRockslides / damage[13]
1999-11-26Ambrym7.4 MwVIII5–1040–100Landslides / damage / five killed by tsunami
1997-04-21Santa Cruz Islands7.7 MwVIISome damage / tsunami[14]
1992-10-11 Tanna 7.4 Mw VIII [15]
1990-07-27Espiritu Santo7.2 mbVII2Moderate damage[16]
1973-12-29Espiritu Santo7.2 MsVIIIModerate damage
1973-12-29Espiritu Santo7.5 MsVIIIModerate damageNGDC
1971-10-27Tutuba6.8 MwVI1SomeSevere damage[17]
1965-08-11Malakula7.6 MwIXModerate damage / tsunamiNGDC
1910-11-10Malakula7.3 MwVIModerate damage / tsunamiNGDC
1909-07-08Moderate damage / tsunamiNGDC
Note: The inclusion criteria for adding events are based on WikiProject Earthquakes' notability guideline that was developed for stand alone articles. The principles described also apply to lists. In summary, only damaging, injurious, or deadly events should be recorded.

See also

References
  1. Yeats, R. (2012), Active Faults of the World, Cambridge University Press, p. 478, ISBN 978-0521190855
  2. Frolich, C. (2006). Deep Earthquakes. Cambridge University Press. pp. 399–401. ISBN 978-0805836523.
  3. "M 5.5 - 82 km ESE of Lakatoro, Vanuatu". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2018-12-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. "Vanuatu eruption sparks series of quakes". Radio New Zealand. 2018-12-18. Retrieved 2018-12-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. "M 6.5 - 78km E of Lakatoro, Vanuatu". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2018-08-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. "M 7.3 - 33 km NW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2022-04-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. "Earthquake panics Vanuatu residents". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2010-08-04. Retrieved 2022-04-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. USGS. "M6.3 - Vanuatu". United States Geological Survey.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. USGS. "M5.7 - Vanuatu". United States Geological Survey.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. "M 7.2 - 56 km E of Luganville, Vanuatu". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2022-03-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. "Powerful earthquake damages Luganville on Vanuatu island of Santo". Radio New Zealand. 2007-08-02. Retrieved 2022-03-01. A police officer was injured during the 7.2 magnitude quake as he tried to leave police headquarters and many residents fled their homes when it struck at about 4am local time.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. USGS. "M5.9 - Vanuatu". United States Geological Survey.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. USGS. "M7.2 - Vanuatu". United States Geological Survey.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. USGS. "M7.7 - Santa Cruz Islands". United States Geological Survey.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. "M 7.4 - 47 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu". earthquake.usgs.gov.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. USGS. "M7.2 - Vanuatu". United States Geological Survey.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. USGS. "M6.8 - Vanuatu". United States Geological Survey.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

Sources

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