Major quake Bougainville PNG ---- NOW

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In summary: it makes for some interesting history readingindeed ... makes a big differenceanother in the list of the many factors that affect ground motion
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davenn
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Location map

170122 M8.0, PNG.JPG
M 8.0 40km W of Panguna, Papua New Guinea
2017-01-22 04:30:24 (UTC)
153.8 km deep
 
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  • #3
USGS reports it as 8.0 - http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us10007uph#executive
M 8.0 - 40km W of Panguna, Papua New Guinea
2017-01-22 04:30:24 UTC
Lat 6.267°S, Long 155.119°E
153.8 km depth - very deep
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us10007uph#map

  • Panguna, Papua New Guinea (I wonder how much shaking they had?)
    40.9 km (25.4 mi) W
    Population: 2,916
  • Arawa, Papua New Guinea
    49.6 km (30.8 mi) W
    Population: 40,266
 
  • #5
Astronuc said:
153.8 km depth - very deep
StevieTNZ said:

yeah, that meant the max'ing out of my seismo didn't last as long as it would have for a shallower event

Astronuc said:
  • Panguna, Papua New Guinea (I wonder how much shaking they had?)

even at around 150+ km from the event, the shaking would be intense ... many major mining projects on BougainvilleDave
 
  • #6
An earthquake at 154 km is quite deep. Note that this earthquake was 140 km east of the Planet Deep, 29,988 feet (9,140 m), the deepest point in the New Britain Trench, Solomon Sea.

The Planet Deep in the Solomon Sea was found by the German survey vessel SMS Planet in 1912. There was another eponymous 'Planet' Deep for a while in the Philippine Sea, but later survey vessels found deeper points nearby in the Philippine Trench.

The SMS Planet was scuttled at Yap Is, 7th Oct 1914 to avoid capture by the Japanese in WW1. The Yap Trench is only 35 km from Yap Island. It seems that there was some significant attraction between the SMS Planet and deep trenches.
 
  • #7
I'm wondering what the peak ground acceleration was. I wonder if they have any accelerometers in place at any of the mines.
 
  • #8
Astronuc said:
I'm wondering what the peak ground acceleration was. I wonder if they have any accelerometers in place at any of the mines.
looks like it got up around 80% of g

2017-01 Mw7.9 Bougainville PGA.jpg
 
  • #9
raw seismogram screenshot off my system, just before it started to overwrite the previous line

170122  UT M 8.0 Bougainville, PNG zhi.gif
Processed file

170122.042702.zhi.psn.gif
cheers
Dave
 
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  • #10
Oops, I mean wow! Is the tsunami warning still active? Or has there been one. ##0.8 \,g## sounded a lot.
 
  • #11
fresh_42 said:
Oops, I mean wow! Is the tsunami warning still active? Or has there been one

there was an alert put out, but was canceled after it was found that there were no significant waves generated

fresh_42 said:
0.8 g sounded a lot.

pretty significant, but by no means the largest
exceeding 1g happens periodically with larger events, M6 and up ... lots of factors come into play, type of fault motion, ground type
to name a couple.
The M 6.3 quake that wrecked Christchurch, NZ in Feb. 2011 had a peak ground accel. of 220.3% g pretty much above the focus.
there was a soft ground location some 10 km to the north ( just east of the city centre) that hit 188.7% g

pretty serious recordings for a moderate event

Dave
 
  • #12
davenn said:
The M 6.3 quake that wrecked Christchurch, NZ in Feb. 2011 had a peak ground accel. of 220.3% g pretty much above the focus.
there was a soft ground location some 10 km to the north ( just east of the city centre) that hit 188.7% g
On the other hand, that moderate quake was shallow, at a depth of 5 km (3.1 mi).

The Great Tohoku earthquake of March 2011 had PGA of ~3.0 g
More on PGA - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_ground_acceleration
 
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  • #13
Astronuc said:
On the other hand, that moderate quake was shallow, at a depth of 5 km (3.1 mi).

indeed ... makes a big difference
another in the list of the many factors that affect ground motion :smile:
 
  • #14
Astronuc, there are no operating mines on Bougainville at this time (nor since the late 1980s). I have reports from a few places along the west coast -- landslides, some houses knocked down, but so far no reports of fatalities. Also, the place Panguna hardly exists anymore. It references the copper mine there, which is no longer in operation.
 
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  • #15
Mono Kakata said:
there are no operating mines on Bougainville at this time (nor since the late 1980s).

I didn't realize that

it made for some interesting history reading
 
  • #16
davenn - yes, it does. It's a complex and sad tale. I worked as an anthropologist on Bougainville (west central, among the people called Nagovisi) in the late 1960s and into the early 1970s. At that time, the Panguna mine was in operation, and although it wasn't the only cause of the long and deadly war of secession, it certainly played a major role. I was last there in 2001, after the fighting died down.
 

1. What caused the major quake in Bougainville, PNG?

The major quake in Bougainville, PNG was caused by tectonic plates shifting and releasing energy along a fault line. This is a common occurrence in areas with high levels of tectonic activity, such as the Pacific Ring of Fire.

2. How big was the major quake in Bougainville, PNG?

The magnitude of the major quake in Bougainville, PNG was initially reported as a 7.5, but was later downgraded to a 7.2 by the US Geological Survey. This makes it a strong earthquake, but not considered to be a major quake.

3. Were there any casualties from the major quake in Bougainville, PNG?

At this time, there have not been any reports of casualties from the major quake in Bougainville, PNG. However, there have been reports of damage to buildings and infrastructure in the surrounding area.

4. Is there a risk of a tsunami following the major quake in Bougainville, PNG?

According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, there is a small possibility of a local tsunami in the area near the epicenter of the major quake in Bougainville, PNG. However, this risk is considered to be low and there is no current tsunami warning in effect.

5. How often do major quakes occur in Bougainville, PNG?

Bougainville, PNG is located in a highly active seismic zone and is prone to earthquakes. Major quakes, with a magnitude of 7.0 or higher, occur in this region approximately every 5-10 years.

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