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2021 Flores earthquake
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2021 Flores earthquake
An earthquake occurred 112 km, offshore, north of Maumere in the Flores Sea on 14 December. The quake had a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.3 according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). One person was killed and 173 others suffered injuries.
Initially a magnitude 7.7, it was downgraded to 7.3. The quake was the result of shallow strike-slip faulting within the shallow crust beneath the Flores Sea. According to the USGS, the earthquake rupture was on an east northeast-west southwest fault with a right-lateral strike-slip motion.[citation needed]
A finite fault model by the ANSS indicate rupture along a fault measuring 90 km by 15 km with a maximum coseismic slip of 4.0 meters. A professor at the Bandung Institute of Technology said the seismogenic fault may have been 80 km to 110 km long, and up to 30 km deep. Coseismic slip might have been 2.3 meters across the rupture area.
Within the epicenter region of the quake are eight known faults—the 2021 event did not occur on any of those. This region of Indonesia is also not as seismically active, hence many expert seismologists did not expect a large earthquake to occur. The strike-slip mechanism was also unusual as thrust faulting is the dominant mechanism for earthquakes in the area. Scientists at the Earth Observatory of Singapore said the fault marked the boundary between two blocks of crust; the north block moving right, relative to the block south of the fault. In 2007, the fault generated a magnitude 5.1 quake.
An academic research paper in 2022 identified it as the "Kalaotoa Fault", a previously unknown structure. This strike-slip dextral fault system consists of three segments with lengths of ~100 km, ~50 km, and ~40 km, respectively. Earthquakes were also triggered on the Selayar Fault, a prominent normal fault located west of the Kalaotoa Fault, believed to be the result of stress transfer. The earthquake was the largest in the region since a deep-focus Mw 7.9 struck in 1996.
The shaking was reportedly most intense on the Selayar Islands, reaching a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong) according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG). The earthquake was also felt V in Ranakah. In Lembata, Labuan Bajo, Larantuka and Ruteng, weak shaking (III–IV) was felt.
It occurred just a few days after the anniversary of a 1992 earthquake and tsunami in the same region.
Tsunami warnings were issued to coastal communities of the Flores region, causing panic among residents. Videos posted on social media showed panicked residents running to higher ground to avoid the anticipated waves. The tsunami however, was minor, measuring only 7 centimeters (2.8 inches). Warnings were cancelled two hours later at 13:20 local time.
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2021 Flores earthquake
An earthquake occurred 112 km, offshore, north of Maumere in the Flores Sea on 14 December. The quake had a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.3 according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). One person was killed and 173 others suffered injuries.
Initially a magnitude 7.7, it was downgraded to 7.3. The quake was the result of shallow strike-slip faulting within the shallow crust beneath the Flores Sea. According to the USGS, the earthquake rupture was on an east northeast-west southwest fault with a right-lateral strike-slip motion.[citation needed]
A finite fault model by the ANSS indicate rupture along a fault measuring 90 km by 15 km with a maximum coseismic slip of 4.0 meters. A professor at the Bandung Institute of Technology said the seismogenic fault may have been 80 km to 110 km long, and up to 30 km deep. Coseismic slip might have been 2.3 meters across the rupture area.
Within the epicenter region of the quake are eight known faults—the 2021 event did not occur on any of those. This region of Indonesia is also not as seismically active, hence many expert seismologists did not expect a large earthquake to occur. The strike-slip mechanism was also unusual as thrust faulting is the dominant mechanism for earthquakes in the area. Scientists at the Earth Observatory of Singapore said the fault marked the boundary between two blocks of crust; the north block moving right, relative to the block south of the fault. In 2007, the fault generated a magnitude 5.1 quake.
An academic research paper in 2022 identified it as the "Kalaotoa Fault", a previously unknown structure. This strike-slip dextral fault system consists of three segments with lengths of ~100 km, ~50 km, and ~40 km, respectively. Earthquakes were also triggered on the Selayar Fault, a prominent normal fault located west of the Kalaotoa Fault, believed to be the result of stress transfer. The earthquake was the largest in the region since a deep-focus Mw 7.9 struck in 1996.
The shaking was reportedly most intense on the Selayar Islands, reaching a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong) according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG). The earthquake was also felt V in Ranakah. In Lembata, Labuan Bajo, Larantuka and Ruteng, weak shaking (III–IV) was felt.
It occurred just a few days after the anniversary of a 1992 earthquake and tsunami in the same region.
Tsunami warnings were issued to coastal communities of the Flores region, causing panic among residents. Videos posted on social media showed panicked residents running to higher ground to avoid the anticipated waves. The tsunami however, was minor, measuring only 7 centimeters (2.8 inches). Warnings were cancelled two hours later at 13:20 local time.
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