Mw 7.5 South of Alaskan Peninsula

  • Thread starter Thread starter davenn
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around a recent Mw 7.5 earthquake that occurred offshore south of Sand Point, Alaskan Peninsula. Participants explore the event's characteristics, its relation to a previous Mw 7.8 earthquake, and the implications regarding tsunami warnings. The scope includes technical details about seismic activity and geological interpretations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes the occurrence of a Mw 7.5 earthquake and recalls a similar event in the past year, suggesting it may be an oblique slip rather than a pure strike-slip event.
  • Another participant mentions that the Mw 7.5 earthquake is classified as an aftershock of a previous Mw 7.8 earthquake from July 2020, highlighting the proximity of the two events.
  • There is a question regarding the absence of a significant tsunami warning, with speculation that the depth of 40 km may have influenced this outcome.
  • Participants discuss that a local tsunami warning was issued but was canceled within an hour, attributing the limited impact to the type of fault motion involved in the earthquake.
  • One participant mentions that Hawaii closed some beaches due to the event, indicating a minor response to the tsunami potential.
  • A participant shares a seismogram from their system, contributing to the technical aspect of the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express uncertainty regarding the implications of the earthquake's depth and fault motion on tsunami generation. While there is agreement on the classification of the Mw 7.5 event as an aftershock, the discussion remains open regarding the specifics of tsunami warnings and their effectiveness.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific seismic events and their characteristics, but there are limitations in the discussion regarding the definitions of fault types and the conditions under which tsunami warnings are issued. The relationship between the two earthquakes and the geological context is not fully resolved.

davenn
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Messages
9,715
Reaction score
11,761
Couldnt get to post this earlier in the day, work duties took precedence

A Mw 7.5 off shore south of Sand Point, Alaskan Peninsula some hours ago today
I will have to look through my records but I recall another similar sized event in the
same region within the last 10 -12 months2020-10-19 20:54:40 (UTC) at 40 km deep and appears to be an oblique slip
rather than a pure strike slip eventIt's still on my seismo for another ~ 15 hours
http://www.sydneystormcity.com/seismograms.htm

USGS report ...
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000c9hg/executivecheers
Dave
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: DaveE, fresh_42 and OmCheeto
Earth sciences news on Phys.org
Knew the other event wasn't so long ago

Mw 7.8 on the 22 July 2020
They are classifying today's Mw 7.5 an aftershock of the 7.8 ... just WOW

I have edited one of their maps to show both events
Today's event is about 80km SW of the July event

20200722 and 1019  Mw 7.8 and 7.5.JPG
 
Last edited:
berkeman said:
It looks like there was no Tsunami warning caused by it? Is that because it was 40km deep?

EDIT -- It looks like there was indeed a Tsunami warning, but just for Alaska (not Northern California):

Yes, just a local warning which was canceled within the hour

Yes, the depth played a part, as did the type of motion on the fault that ruptured. Tho the event was on a major subduction zone,
the fault that ruptured was primarily a strike/slip (sideways) motion rather than a thrust motion. As a result, the seafloor didn't
move with any significant vertical offset.Dave
 
  • Informative
Likes   Reactions: berkeman
  • Informative
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: berkeman and davenn
here's a screen dump of the seismogram from my system ...
201019 2054UT Mw7.5 S of Alaska Penin zhi1.gif
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
4K
Replies
1
Views
999
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
5K
Replies
31
Views
4K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K