Solomon Islands Earthquake

First Posting | Summary
Posting Date: January 19, 2003, 11:00:00 PM

A major earthquake struck the Solomon Islands on Monday, January 20, 2003, at about 7:43 p.m. local time (08:43 UTC). The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) has initially estimated the magnitude to be 7.2, with a focal depth of about 17 miles (27 km). The quake was centered between the regions of South Malaita and Makira, about 85 miles southeast of Honiara, capitol of the Solomon Islands, which has a population of about 50,000. Preliminary indications suggest the earthquake occurred at the San Christobel trench, a location where the Australian plate is subducted under the Pacific plate. The Harvard University Centroid Moment Tensor Solution shows the focal mechanism for this event is a shallow oblique thrust quake, typical of shallow subduction events in this area, where earthquakes of magnitude greater than 7.0 are frequent. During the past 100 years at least 10 such large events have occurred. Two events of magnitude 7.5 occurred in 1984 and 1988, both were located within 82 km of this event. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. Monday's earthquake came just weeks after two islands in the Solomon group were hit by a devastating cyclone.

First Posting | Downloads
Posting Date: January 19, 2003, 11:00:00 PM