2024 Port Vila earthquake: Difference between revisions
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==References== |
==References== |
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==External links== |
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{{Earthquakes in 2024}} |
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Revision as of 11:41, 17 December 2024
.jpg) Strong ground motion map by USGS | |
  | |
| UTC time | 2024-12-17 01:47:26 |
|---|---|
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 17 December 2024 |
| Local time | 12:47:26 VUT (UTC+11) |
| Duration | 30 seconds |
| Magnitude | 7.3 Mw |
| Depth | 57.1 km (35 mi) |
| Epicenter | 13°21′14″S 76°30′32″W / 13.354°S 76.509°W |
| Type | Oblique-slip |
| Areas affected | Port Vila, Vanuatu |
| Max. intensity | MMI VIII (Severe) |
| Tsunami | 25 cm (0.82 ft) |
| Aftershocks | 4+ |
| Casualties | 6+ dead (unconfirmed), "Unspecified" injuries |
At 12:47:26 VUT (01:47:26 UTC) on 17 December 2024, a Mw 7.3 earthquake struck Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu.[1] At least one person died and extensive damage occurred in Port Vila and surrounding areas. The earthquake also generated a 25 cm (9.8 in) tsunami.
Tectonic setting
The primary tectonic feature of the Vanuatuan archipelago 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.[2]
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.[3]
Earthquake
The earthquake struck some 30 kilometres off the coast of Efate.[4] The United States Geological Survey (USGS) placed the earthquake at Mw 7.3 with a depth of 57.1 kilometres.[5] Shaking was estimated to have lasted for around 30 seconds.[6] At least four aftershocks were recorded, with the strongest measuring Mw 5.5.[7]
Impact
A person was confirmed killed, while five more unconfirmed deaths are reported[8] and an unspecified number of people were injured,[9] with bodies seen lying on the streets of Port Vila.[1] A building housing the United States, United Kingdom, French and New Zealand embassies collapsed on its ground floor.[10][11][12] Another building was partially destroyed, while severe landslides occurred, including some that blocked roads and buried a wharf in the city. Two bridges also collapsed.[13][14] A "massive" landslide struck the international shipping terminal of Port Vila, while the runway of Bauerfield International Airport was damaged,[15] leading Jetstar to cancel a scheduled flight to Port-Vila that day.[16] Another landslide buried a bus, resulting in several deaths.[4]
A 25 cm (9.8 in) tsunami was observed.[17] Websites of Vanuatuan government agencies went offline, while communication lines for police and related authorities were rendered unserviceable.[7] Despite connectivity issues, people have been able to go online through Starlink.[18] The Vanuatu Red Cross Society building was also damaged.[10] Power and water outages occurred in the city.[19]
The USGS estimated that the earthquake could cause economic losses measuring between 1 to 10% of Vanuatu's GDP.[10]
Response
A tsunami warning was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre covering Vanuatu, Fiji, the Kermadec Islands, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Wallis and Futuna.[7] This was lifted on 14:14 VUT.[20] The Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office told residents of coastal areas to flee to higher ground.[19] Authorities in the country were placed on high alert with one local journalist telling FBC News that the Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF) and government emergency workers were immediately mobilized to assist those affected, adding that "government officials are dealing with several causalities."[21] A mass casualty triage centre was set up outside the emergency ward of Port Vila Central Hospital.[19]
Officials are currently assessing the extent of the destruction and prioritizing rescue efforts.[22]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Vanuatu rocked by major earthquake". dw.com. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ Yeats, R. (2012), Active Faults of the World, Cambridge University Press, p. 478, ISBN 978-0521190855
- ^ Frolich, C. (2006). Deep Earthquakes. Cambridge University Press. pp. 399–401. ISBN 978-0805836523.
- ^ a b "Powerful earthquake hits Pacific island of Vanuatu, bodies seen in street". France 24. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ ANSS. "M 7.3 – 30 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 2024". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey.
- ^ "Why earthquakes are more common in places such as Vanuatu". ABC Australia. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "Magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes near Vanuatu capital". Al Jazeera. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ OCHA (17 December 2024). "Vanuatu Earthquake: Flash Update No. 1, As of 17 December 2024 – 20:00 local time". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Magnitude 7.4 earthquake hits Vanuatu, one reported dead". The Straits Times. Reuters. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "Vanuatu 7.3 magnitude earthquake: First reports of damage". Radio New Zealand. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ Pal, Alasdair (17 December 2024). "Magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Vanuatu damages US embassy". Reuters. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "US embassy in Vanuatu suffers 'considerable damage' as powerful quake strikes Pacific nation". CNN. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Tsunami waves observed after magnitude-7.4 earthquake recorded at Vanuatu". ABC News. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Bodies Seen In Vanuatu Capital After Major Earthquake: Witness". Barron's. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Magnitude 7.3 earthquake hits Pacific island nation of Vanuatu". Associated Press. 17 December 2024. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Buildings flattened as 7.3 magnitude earthquake hits Vanuatu". BBC. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "TSUNAMI MESSAGE NUMBER 3". Tsunami.gov. 17 December 2024. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Fijians struggle for updates as Qereqeretabua pledges continued efforts to get information". FijiVillage. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "Images emerge showing destruction across Port Vila after Vanuatu records magnitude-7.3 earthquake". ABC Australia. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Strong 7.3 magnitude earthquake hits Vanuatu". BBC. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "One fatality confirmed in Vanuatu; Fiji keeping tabs". Fiji Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Broadcasting disrupted as Vanuatu faces earthquake fallout". Fiji Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 17 December 2024.