M6.9 - MOLUCCA SEA

Tectonic Summary

The earthquake occurred 85 km off the coast of Pulau Ternate, Indonesia, in the Molucca Sea. The tectonic setting of this region of the world is extremely complex, due to the interaction of the major Eurasian, Philippine, and Australian plates, and the presence of several micro plates whose movements are influenced by the larger plates. This shallow thrust event was caused by the release of compressional stress built in the Sunda plate, one of several micro plates in the region. Compressional stresses are generated as the Birds Head plate subducts beneath the Sunda plate at a rate of 106.3 mm/yr.

Recent devastating earthquakes have occurred in the immediate region: On May 26, 2003 a magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurred 150 km southeast-east of the recent earthquake, killing at least one, injuring 7, and destroying 28 houses throughout the island of Morotai. On March 05, 2002 a magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred 500 km northwest of the recent earthquake, and killed eight people, and injured at least 630.

The country of Indonesia has suffered several recent deadly earthquakes, including the May 26, 2006 magnitude 6.3 Java event, that killed nearly 6,000, and injured 38,000. On March 28, 2005 a magnitude 8.6 earthquake occurred off the western coast of northern Sumatra. This event caused at least 1000 fatalities on the Island of Nias, and triggered a tsunami reaching the countries of Sri Lanka and India. Indonesia also suffered the devastating 2004 Sumatra-Andaman magnitude 9.1 earthquake, the third largest earthquake to occur since 1900, that killed close to 300,000 people.

Earthquake Information for Asia

Earthquake Information for Indonesia