Information message about the strong earthquake in northern Molucca Sea, November 15, 2014. |
| The strong earthquake М=7.1 has occurred on November 15, 2014 at 02:31 GMT (05:31 Moscow time) in northren Molucca Sea. |
| Parameters of the earthquake
have been determined in the Alert Service (AS) of Information
Processing Center (IPC) of Geophysical Survey of RAS in Obninsk with station data
obtained from digital and analog seismic stations of Russia, countries of CIS
and from abroad. Alert message on this earthquake has been delivered in 13 min after
registration to the Ministry of Emergency of the Russian Federation (EMERCOM). |
| Preliminary processing has been done with data from 57 stations, accurate processing - with data 64 stations. |
| Fig. 1 presents fragments of records obtained from digital stations Tennant Creek (∆ 23.1º), Port Moresby (∆ 23.5º), Taejon (∆ 34.3º), Matsushiro (∆ 36.1º), Владивосток (∆ 41.3º). Fig. 2 presents fragments of records obtained from digital stations Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (∆ 47.1º), Kurchatov (∆ 63.1º), Tiksi (∆ 69.6º), Kislovodsk (∆ 84.1º), Obninsk (∆ 88.4º). |
Figure 1
| 
Figure 2
|
|
| IPC GS RAS also has obtained information with parameters of this event from some seismological centers, these data are given in table 1: |
| Table 1 |
| NN |
Time in origin h-min-s (GMT) |
Lat degr. |
Lon degr. |
Depth km |
N s/st |
Ms/ N |
mb/ N |
I0 calc |
GAP |
Center | | 1 |
02-31-38.7 |
1.92 |
126.45 |
33 |
64 |
6.8/37 | 7.1/34 | 7.5-8 | 99 | IPC GS RAS (Accurate) | | 2 |
02-31-38.3 |
1.84 |
126.4 |
33 |
57 |
| 7.1/32 | 8.5-9 | 99 | IPC GS RAS (Preliminary) | | 3 |
02-31-43.1 |
1.93 |
126.52 |
50.7 |
478 |
Mw 7.1 | | | 9 | CSEM | | 4 |
02-31-40.6 |
1.928 |
126.547 |
35 |
160 |
Mw 7.1 | 6.7/302 | | 18 | NEIC | |
| IPC GS RAS - Informational Processing Center, Geophysical Survey, Russian Academy of Sciences |
| CSEM - European - Mediterranean seismological center |
| NEIC - National Earthquakes Information Center of US Geological Service |
| Epicenter |
| Fig. 3 presents epicenter of this earthquake with red star, its origin was located in northern Molucca Sea at the depth of 33 km, 158 km N-W of Ternate, Indonesia, and 176 km E-N-E of Manado, Indonesia. |
Figure 3 |
|
| Aftershock |
| GS RAS registered 15 aftershocks with М>=4.8 within 2 after the main shock. |
| N |
Date & Time (GMT)
yy-mm-dd hh:mm:sec |
Lat
degr. |
Lon
degr. |
Depth
km |
N
station |
Ms/ N |
mb/ N |
Io
calc. |
Region |
| 20144129 | 2014-11-15 03:23:01.0 | 2.14 | 126.7 | 33 | 25 | - | 5.2/ 17 | 4-4.5 | Northern Molucca Sea | | 20144130 | 2014-11-15 03:56:59.0 | 1.81 | 126.39 | 33 | 18 | - | 5.0/ 15 | 3.5-4 | Northern Molucca Sea | | 20144131 | 2014-11-15 04:06:02.0 | 1.81 | 126.47 | 33 | 25 | - | 5.3/ 17 | 4-4.5 | Northern Molucca Sea | | 20144133 | 2014-11-15 06:13:58.0 | 1.86 | 126.28 | 33 | 18 | - | 4.9/ 12 | 3-3.5 | Northern Molucca Sea | | 20144134 | 2014-11-15 08:11:42.0 | 1.61 | 125.77 | 33 | 15 | - | 4.8/ 8 | 3-3.5 | Northern Molucca Sea | | 20144135 | 2014-11-15 09:26:57.0 | 1.86 | 126.44 | 33 | 24 | - | 5.4/ 14 | 4.5 | Northern Molucca Sea | | 20144136 | 2014-11-15 09:47:56.0 | 1.71 | 126.28 | 33 | 35 | - | 5.8/ 24 | 5.5 | Northern Molucca Sea | | 20144138 | 2014-11-15 10:41:49.0 | 1.78 | 126.36 | 33 | 12 | - | 4.8/ 8 | 3-3.5 | Northern Molucca Sea | | 20144139 | 2014-11-15 11:12:00.0 | 1.61 | 126.24 | 33 | 39 | - | 5.7/ 16 | 5-5.5 | Northern Molucca Sea | | 20144140 | 2014-11-15 13:39:19.0 | 1.87 | 126.63 | 10 | 17 | - | 4.9/ 12 | 5-5.5 | Northern Molucca Sea | | 20144144 | 2014-11-16 00:42:45.0 | 1.78 | 126.21 | 33 | 18 | - | 5.2/ 9 | 4-4.5 | Northern Molucca Sea | | 20144149 | 2014-11-16 06:38:42.0 | 2.03 | 126.49 | 33 | 12 | - | 4.8/ 7 | 3-3.5 | Northern Molucca Sea | | 20144151 | 2014-11-16 10:04:00.0 | 1.52 | 126.33 | 33 | 19 | - | 4.8/ 13 | 3-3.5 | Northern Molucca Sea | | 20144153 | 2014-11-16 10:12:19.0 | 1.69 | 126.9 | 33 | 16 | - | 4.8/ 13 | 3-3.5 | Northern Molucca Sea | | 20144156 | 2014-11-16 12:31:15.0 | 1.78 | 126.53 | 33 | 17 | - | 4.9/ 10 | 3-3.5 | Northern Molucca Sea | |
| Macroseismic manifestations |
| According to RIA-Novosti this earthquake caused panic in many parts of the province of North Maluku and North Sulawesi. According to preliminary data, the bridge and the wall of the hotel collapsed in Manado, in both cases, there were no victims. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre announced a tsunami threat, its height off the coast of the island Dzhailolo was 9 cm, in Manado - 3 cm.
Fig. 4 was obtained from USGS NEIC , Community Internet Intensity Map, based on 10 responses in 5 cities. |
Figure 4 |
|
| Focal mechanism and seismic moment of the earthquake |
| Focal mechanism was obtained in USGS NEIC with W-phase Moment Tensor (Mww) technique and in Quick CMT Center with CMT technique. Fig. 5,6 present them in stereographic projection at the lower hemisphere. Elements of mechanism are presented in table 2. All solutions obtained in different centers are close.
This earthquake has occurred under the actions of N-W oriented compression stresses (Azm=296-297º). NP1 nodal plane strikes S-W and is almost vertical (DP=59-62º). NP2 nodal plane strikes N-E and is more flat (DP=30-35º).
The type of motion for NP1 – overthrusts with minor left lateral components. For NP2 this is transverse thrust in USGS case, and overthrust with minor right lateral components in CMT case.
According to USGS NEIC Mo=4.86*10**19 N*m, Mw=7.1, according to Quick CMT Mo=4.71*10**19 N*m, Mw=7.0. |
| Table 2 |
| Axes of main strengths |
Nodal planes |
Center |
| T |
P |
N |
NP1 |
NP2 |
| Pl |
Azm |
Pl |
Azm |
Pl |
Azm |
Stk |
Dp |
Slip |
Stk |
Dp |
Slip |
| 71 | 85 | 16 | 297 |
10 | 204 | 199 | 62 | 79 | 41 |
30 | 110 | NEIC | | 71 | 65 | 12 | 296 |
14 | 203 | 194 | 59 | 73 | 44 |
35 | 116 | Quick CMT | |
| NEIC - National Earthquakes Information Center of US Geological Service |
| Quick CMT - Quick CMT catalog |
Figure 5 | 
Figure 6 |
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