Magnitude 7.2 - PAPUA, INDONESIA 2004 November 26 02:25:06 UTC

USGS Earthquake Hazards ^ | 26 November 2004

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Magnitude 7.2 - PAPUA, INDONESIA
2004 November 26 02:25:06 UTC

Preliminary Earthquake Report
U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center
World Data Center for Seismology, Denver

A major earthquake occurred at 02:25:06 (UTC) on Friday, November 26, 2004. The magnitude 7.2 event has been located in PAPUA, INDONESIA. (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)

Magnitude	7.2
Date-Time	Friday, November 26, 2004 at 02:25:06 (UTC) = Coordinated Universal Time Friday, November 26, 2004 at 11:25:06 AM = local time at epicenter
Location	3.634°S, 135.477°E
Depth	35 km (21.7 miles) set by location program
Region	PAPUA, INDONESIA
Distances	95 km (60 miles) W of Enarotali, Papua, Indonesia 275 km (170 miles) NNE of Dobo, Aru Islands, Indonesia 1095 km (680 miles) NNE of DARWIN, Northern Territory, Australia 3195 km (1980 miles) E of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia

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Ping.

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Full moon Friday, yet another 7.2 quake, okay I'm convinced Ping. :-)

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No Tsunami warnings for this area. This is the approximate same locale as the 1998 devastating tsunami which struck Papua New Guinea:

"...On the evening of 17 July 1998, on the Aitape coast of Papua New Guinea, a strongly felt earthquake was followed some 10-25 minutes later by a destructive tsunami.

The tsunami comprised three waves, each estimated to be about 4 m high. The second of the three waves rose to a height of 10-15 m above sea level after it had crossed the shoreline and caused most damage.

Maximum wave heights and greatest damage were recorded along a 14-km sector of coast centered on Sissano Lagoon. In this sector the wave fronts moved from east to west along the coast; all structures were destroyed, and 20-40 percent of the population was killed.

Partial destruction extended 23 km to the southeast and 8 km to the northwest, and effects of the tsunami were felt as far as 250 km to the west-northwest, beyond the international border (Joku, this volume).

More than 1600 people are known to have died, with some estimates as high as 2200; 1000 were seriously injured, and 10,000 survivors were displaced..."

The Aitape 1998 tsunami: Reconstructing the event from interviews and field mapping.

[djf]

Just saw it on the map a few minutes ago... that makes what, 4 or 5 7+ in that region this week?

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Aitape tsunami - First map of the wave Earth Talk

"On the evening of Friday 17 July on the north coast of Papua New Guinea a magnitude 7.0 offshore earthquake was followed 15-20 minutes later by a catastrophic tsunami.

The three waves of the tsunami completely destroyed three coastal villages and caused 2200 deaths and 1000 injuries. The following is the latest in a weekly series of popular science pieces, many dealing with the tsunami, that have appeared in The National newspaper, printed in Port Moresby, PNG."

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Aitape tsunami - First map of the wave Earth Talk

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Strong earthquake rattles Indonesia's West Papua province, killing 13
09:07 AM EST Nov 26

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - "A strong earthquake rocked Indonesia's West Papua province Friday, killing at least 13 people and causing dozens of buildings and homes to collapse, officials said.

The magnitude-6.4 quake struck at 11:25 a.m. and was centred 30 kilometres from the Papuan town of Nabire, 3,200 kilometres northeast of the capital Jakarta, said seismologist Edison Gurning.

At least 13 people were killed and 65 injured, Maj. Wempi Batlairi of Nabire police said.

The quake destroyed 170 homes and shops, three bridges, a church and a government telecommunications building, he said. Authorities closed the local airport after a crack was found in the runway.

Tents were being erected to house the homeless.

"People are still scared," Batlairi said. "We are still getting aftershocks from the quake. All of the townspeople are outside because they fear that more buildings will collapse..." (End of excerpt. Link to rest of story follows)

Strong earthquake rattles Indonesia's West Papua province, killing 13

[ChadGore]

7.2 OUCH !

[bd476]

This is "too many" 7.0 major earthquakes and all within the "ring of fire."

Papua is the same area which was devastated in 1998 by a large tsunami.

[bd476]

Yes, ouch indeed. Sitting here in Southern California watching these big ones is a bit unsettling. I have water, batteries, flashlights, portable radio, blankets, extra food, yet in a quake that size - supplies will probably be the least concern.

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There have been many major earthquakes in this area:

1.	CNN.com - Earthquake shakes Indonesia's West Papua province - A magnitude 5.5 earthquake on Monday shook Indonesia's remote West Papua province on the western half of New Guinea island, the Meteorology and... http://www.cnn.com/2000/ASIANOW/southeast/10/09/indonesia.earthquake.ap/index.html
2.	CNN - Major Indonesia earthquake kills at least six - November 30, Major Indonesia earthquake kills at least six ... In July, three tsunamis struck Papua New Guinea, at the eastern edge of the Indonesian... http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/asiapcf/9811/30/quake.indonesia.reut.01/
3.	Seismo-Watch, Special Earthquake Report, Papua New Guinea M 7.3 September 8, 2002. An earthquake measuring M 7.3 (NEIC) occurred today along the northern coast of Papua New Guinea, Indonesia. http://www.seismo-watch.com/EQS/AB/2002/020908.PNG/020908.PNG.html
4.	BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Powerful earthquake hits Indonesia 54 GMT 11:54 UK ... Powerful earthquake hits Indonesia. At least three ... measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale hit neighbouring Papua New Guinea. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2319787.stm
5.	Indonesia.Net - travel, business, history About Indonesia ... 13 667 islands covering a total area of 1 904 569 square km from the Malay Peninsula in the west to New Guinea in the east. http://www.indonesia.net/Facts.htm

Papua Indonesia Earthquake

[Jemian]

Actually, this area is NOT the one which was hit by that tsunami in '98. That quake was centered off the coast of Papua New Guinea (same island and same side of this island) which is several hundred miles to the east of this area. It is doubtful those in the Bird's Neck area even felt that '98 quake. I was living outside of Jayapura at the time and I did not feel the '98 quake.

What is devastating however, is that in January and February of either 2003 or 2004, this area in the Bird's Neck (Naibire area) were well over 100 earthquakes over 4.0. That swarm did extensive damage and the area was still in the recovery process.

Before you ask, I am not now living outside of Jayapura and therefore didn't feel this quake. I did feel some of the quake swarm earlier this year (or the last).

[Lijahsbubbe]

Wow. 7.2. That's a big one. Anyone know what the highest number of a recorded earthquake is?

And what is the "ring of fire"?

[bd476]

Thank you for clarifying that, Jemian. :-) I posted a couple of maps of the area. It is interesting to see how the island is divided into a New Guinea area and an Indonesia area.

Glad to hear that you were nowhere near the quake this time. There are reports of some deaths from this quake.

Maps

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According to USGS, on May 22, 1960 a 9.5 magnitude earthquake struck Chile at 5:11 p.m. Five thousand seven hundred people lost their lives.

List of Significant World-wide Earthquakes

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From the New York Times:

Indonesia Earthquake Kills 11, Hurts 65

By REUTERS

Filed at 4:01 a.m. ET

JAKARTA (Reuters) - "At least 11 people were killed and 65 injured when a strong earthquake shook Indonesia's Papua province Friday, collapsing buildings and starting fires, officials said.

A series of aftershocks continued to rattle the coastal town of Nabire, 3,000 km (1,900 miles) northeast of Jakarta, hours after the morning quake that measured 6.4 on the Richter scale by the National Earthquake Center.

``We're still in panic,'' Jahron, a pilot who lives in Nabire, told Reuters by telephone.

People were setting up tents outside their houses because they were afraid to be inside, he said.

``Eleven people have died, including three children, and 30 are now being treated at hospitals,'' Paminto, a coordinator at the Health Crisis Center in Jayapura, the provincial capital to the east of Nabire, told Reuters by telephone. Lt. Col. Toto Surono, a Jakarta-based army official, said at least 65 people were injured, although not all of them where taken to hospitals.

Nabire airport had been closed due to damage, said Slamet Suyitno, an official at the Meteorology and Geophysics agency in Jayapura.

``Planes cannot land, even the smallest plane. The tower might be collapsed. The Indosat building and several churches collapsed,'' he said.

Indosat (PT Indonesian Satellite Corp Tbk) is the country's second-largest telecommunications firm.

The epicenter of the earthquake, which struck at 9:25 a.m., was on land, some 10 miles to the south of Nabire.

The Hong Kong observatory and Geoscience Australia recorded the earthquake at 7.2 on the Richter scale.

Earthquakes often occur in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands that lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire where plate boundaries intersect and volcanoes regularly erupt.

A quake in the Nabire area in February killed at least 37 people.

In December 1992, an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the open-ended Richter scale killed about 2,200 people on the island of Flores southwest of Nabire. Many of those who died were killed by massive waves triggered by the earthquake." Indonesia Earthquake Kills 11, Hurts 65

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From the New York Times AP:

November 26, 2004

Earthquake Kills 13 in Indonesia

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 7:28 a.m. ET

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- "A strong earthquake rocked Indonesia's West Papua province Friday, killing at least 13 people and causing dozens of buildings and homes to collapse, officials said.

The magnitude-6.4 quake struck at 11:25 a.m. and was centered 20 miles from the Papuan town of Nabire, 2,000 miles northeast of the capital Jakarta, said seismologist Edison Gurning.

At least 13 people were killed and 65 injured, Nabire Deputy Police Chief Maj. Wempi Batlairi said.

The quake destroyed 170 homes and shops, three bridges, a church and a government telecommunications building, he said. Authorities closed the local airport after a crack was found in the runway.

Tents were being erected to house the homeless.

``People are still scared,'' Batlairi said. ``We are still getting aftershocks from the quake. All of the townspeople are outside because they fear that more buildings will collapse.''

Nabire was hit by a powerful earthquake in February that killed 28 people and left much of the city in ruins. Authorities said the city was still in the process of rebuilding from that quake.

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelagic nation of 17,000 islands, is prone to frequent seismic upheaval because of its location on the margins of tectonic plates called the Pacific 'Ring of Fire.' " (Emphasis added.)

Earthquake Kills 13 in Indonesia

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There's a beautiful view on Mt. St. Helen's Volcano web cam right now, that is if you are around. There is a cloud bank passing over the top of Mt. St. Helen's but you can see the brilliant sunshine at the base and surrounding area. For some reason, it reminds me of "The Hobbit."

Mt. St. Helen's Live Web Cam