1953 Suva earthquake

Earthquake in Fiji October 2024 1953 Suva earthquake 1953-09-14 00:26:34 892001 iscgem892001 1953 09 14 y 12:26:34 Fiji 6.8 s y, 6.4 w yes 10 kmOB 892001 -18.2 178.3 inline,titleSignificant Earthquake Information 1972 https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/hazards/earthquake/event-more-info/7443 National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information 11 September 2024 10.7289/V5TD9V7K National Geophysical Data Center Fiji local VII 8 dead 1953 Suva earthquake.jpg The 1953 Suva earthquake occurred on 14 September at 00:26 UTC near Suva, Fiji, just off the southeast shore of Viti Levu. This earthquake had an estimated magnitude of s y 6.8 and w yes 6.4.ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1904–2018) https://www.isc.ac.uk/iscgem/index.php ISC 2022 International Seismological Centre Version 9.1 The earthquake triggered a coral reef platform collapse and a submarine landslide that caused a tsunami. Eight people were reported killed. Tectonic setting Fiji lies in a complex tectonic setting along the boundary between the Australian plate and the Pacific plate. Southwards from Fiji the Pacific plate is subducting beneath the Australian plate along the Tonga Trench forming the Tonga Ridge island arc system and the Lau Basin back-arc basin. To the southwest of Fiji the Australian plate is subducting beneath the Pacific plate forming the Vanuatu Ridge island arc system and the North Fiji back-arc basin.Rahiman T.I.H. Pettinga J.R. Watts P. amp 2007 The source mechanism and numerical modelling of the 1953 Suva tsunami, Fiji Marine Geology 237 1–2 55–70 10.1016/j.margeo.2006.10.036 2007MGeol.237...55R Hence, the region has undergone a complex process of plate convergence, subduction, and arc volcanism from the Middle Eocene to the Early Pliocene.https://eird.org/deslizamientos/pdf/eng/doc8455/doc8455-2a.pdf Landslide hazards in Fiji Greenbaum D. Bowker, M. R Dau, I Drospy, H Greally, K. B McDonald A. J. W Marsh, S. H Northmore, K. J O'Connor, E. A Prasad, R. S Tragheim, D. G. amp 1995 Technical Report WC/95/28 Rapid methods of landslide hazard mapping : Fiji case study British Geological Survey 23 March 2011 Many of the larger islands, such as Viti Levu, are of volcanic origin.http://www.sprep.org/att/publication/000713_FIJI_country_papaer_PACC_workshop_samoa_June_July_09.corrected_1.pdf Government of Fiji Country Report on Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) Inception Meeting Samoa, from 29th June – 3rd July 2009. Government of Fiji 2009 2 23 March 2011 Volcanism still exists, and there are Holocene volcanos in Fiji.http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/region.cfm?rnum=0405 Volcanoes of New Zealand to Fiji: Fiji Islands Global Volcanism Program 23 March 2011 The Fiji Platform lies in a zone bordered with active extension fault lines around which most of the shallow earthquakes were centered. These fault lines are the Fiji fracture zone (FFZ) to the north, the 176° Extension Zone (176°E EZ) to the west, and the Hunter fracture zone (HFZ) to the east. Earthquake The earthquake lasted between 25 and 30 seconds and had an estimated magnitude of 6.75 on the surface-wave magnitude scale. The calculated focal mechanism is consistent with slightly oblique dextral (right lateral) strike-slip on a NW-SE trending fault plane, matching the orientation of other fault planes measured in the area and a marked bathymetric lineament. The fault parameters calculated for the earthquake are a length of 30 km, a width of 27 km and a slip of 1 m. The NW trending nodal plane of this earthquake coincides with the strike of the NW trending Naqara Fault on the southeast coast of Viti Levu.Fracture lineaments, fault mesh formation and seismicity: Towards a seismotectonic model for Viti Levu, Fiji Rahiman Tariq I.H. Pettinga Jarg R. 2009 Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering 42 1 63–72 10.5459/bnzsee.42.1.63-72 https://www.nzsee.org.nz/db/Bulletin/Archive/42(1)0063.pdf 3 February 2013 Tsunami The first sign of a tsunami was observed about one minute after the earthquake when a disturbance of the sea surface was noticed by the captain of the cutter Adi Tirisa located about 6.4–8.0 km southwest of Suva. The boat shook severely before "three great spouts burst out of the sea, carrying mud, stones, and part of a long-wrecked vessel". The location of this disturbance was at the western end of the entrance to the Suva Passage. The tsunami was triggered by an earthquake-induced partial collapse of a barrier reef at Suva into the Suva Canyon. The current reef edge shows the effects of repeated slope failure. The characteristics of the 1953 landslide scar were investigated using a high resolution multibeam echo sounder. The area immediately offshore from the reef is a composite failure surface, where a young scar measuring 800 m in width was identified. The slide had an estimated volume of 60,000,000 m3. Numerical modelling of a landslide successfully reproduced most of the tsunami observations. The first tsunami wave, measuring 0.3 m, struck Beqa some thirty seconds after the earthquake. Fifteen minutes later, a 1.2-1.5 m wave arrived. On Viti Levu, waves estimated at 3–15 m were observed around the coral reefs off the island's southern coast. As these waves swept onto land, they deposited remnants of the coral reef. A tsunami of 20 cm amplitude was recorded by the tide gauge in Pago Pago. Just over seven hours after the earthquake, in Honolulu and Port Allen, the tsunami wave measured 6 cm and 10 cm.Tsunami Event Information https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/hazards/tsunami/event-more-info/1840 National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service: NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information 11 September 2024 10.7289/V5PN93H7 National Geophysical Data Center Damage and casualties This earthquake was the most destructive in Fiji's recorded history; killing three people and seriously injuring twenty others. The most serious damage occurred in the southeastern part of Viti Levu. A wharf, bridges, and buildings were also severely damaged at Suva. The tsunami caused particular damage to coastal areas unprotected by barrier reefs, devastating the villages of Nakasaleka and Makaluva. There were five deaths from the tsunami, three at Suva and two at Nakasaleka. Had the tsunami occurred at high tide, rather than low tide it would have been more damaging.http://www.pdc.org/TAK/Fiji/History/Fiji_Significant_Events_1850_to_2004.pdf Summary of Earthquakes and Tsunamis Affecting Fiji 1850–2004 Pacific Disaster Center Tsunami Awareness Kit 22 March 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110206064110/http://www.pdc.org/TAK/Fiji/History/Fiji_Significant_Events_1850_to_2004.pdf 6 February 2011 dead The landslide that caused the tsunami generated turbidity currents that damaged several underwater cables in the Suva Canyon. The total damage caused by earthquake and tsunami was estimated at $500 thousand.http://www.mrd.gov.fj/gfiji/geology/educate/equakes.html Earthquake in Fiji Fiji Mineral Resources Department 22 March 2011 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110928084645/http://www.mrd.gov.fj/gfiji/geology/educate/equakes.html 28 September 2011 See also List of earthquakes in 1953 List of earthquakes in Fiji References Further reading The 1953 Suva earthquake and tsunami http://bssa.geoscienceworld.org/content/52/1/1.abstract R. E. Houtz Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 52 1 1–12 January 1962 10.1785/BSSA0520010001 1962BuSSA..52....1H subscription External links 892001 Category:1953 earthquakes Category:Earthquakes in Fiji Category:1953 in Fiji Category:1950s tsunamis Category:Tsunamis in Fiji Category:1953 disasters in Fiji