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Sunda megathrust
Geological feature

The Sunda megathrust is a fault that extends approximately 5,500 km (3300 mi) from Myanmar (Burma) in the north, running along the southwestern side of Sumatra, to the south of Java and Bali before terminating near Australia. It is a megathrust, located at a convergent plate boundary where it forms the interface between the overriding Eurasian plate and the subducting Indo-Australian plate. It is one of the most seismogenic structures on Earth, being responsible for many great and giant earthquakes, including the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that killed over 227,000 people. The Sunda megathrust can be divided into the Andaman Megathrust, Sumatra(n) Megathrust and Java(n) Megathrust. The Bali-Sumbawa segment is much less active and therefore does not have the "megathrust" term associated with it.

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Tectonic setting

The subducting plate consists of two protoplates, the Indian plate and Australian plate. Similarly, the overriding plate consists of two microplates, the Sunda and Burma plates. The relative motion of the subducting and overriding plates varies slightly along strike due to these complexities but is always strongly oblique. The strike-slip component of the oblique convergence is accommodated by displacement on the Great Sumatran fault, while the dip-slip component is taken up by the Sunda megathrust.

Megathrust geometry

The Sunda megathrust is curviplanar, forming an arc in map view and, at least in Sumatra, increasing in dip from 5°-7° near the trench, then increasing gradually from 15°-20° beneath the Mentawai Islands to about 30° below the coastline of Sumatra.2

Earthquakes

At this plate boundary, earthquakes occur along the Sunda megathrust and within both the subducting and overriding plates. The largest earthquakes are generated when the megathrust itself ruptures. Studies of both recent and historical earthquakes show that the megathrust is segmented.3 The largest earthquakes occur on separate 'patches' along the megathrust surface (1797, 1833, 1861, 2004, 2005 & 2007), with smaller events occurring at the boundaries between these patches (1935, 1984, 2000 & 2002).4 The rupture area of the 1861 event appears to be very similar to that for the 2005 event, suggesting that it can be regarded as a repeat event. The 2007 event is interpreted to be a partial failure of the rupture area of the 1833 event.5

The 2004 earthquake ruptured an enormous segment of the megathrust surface. Research into evidence for previous events of this size suggests that they are rare, with two candidate earlier events occurring soon after AD 1290–1400 and AD 780–990.6 The Java-Bali segment of the megathrust does not appear to be associated with great earthquakes, possibly due to mainly aseismic slip.7

List of Sunda megathrust earthquakes

This table lists Sunda Megathrust quakes with magnitudes of 7 or greater, or any known to have caused deaths. Historic records before 2004 are incomplete.

Date/Time‡LocationCoordinatesFatalitiesMagnitudeCommentsSources
1797-02-10just north of Siberut, Mentawai islands1°00′S 99°00′E / 1.0°S 99.0°E / -1.0; 99.03008.4See 1797 Sumatra earthquake8910
1833-11-2550 km NE of North Pagai, Mentawai islands2°30′S 100°30′E / 2.5°S 100.5°E / -2.5; 100.5"numerous victims"8.8–9.2 MwSee 1833 Sumatra earthquake111213
1843-10-05Nias1°30′N 98°00′E / 1.5°N 98.0°E / 1.5; 98.0"many killed"≥7.8 MwCaused a devastating tsunami. Maximum intensity XI (Extreme). See 1843 Nias earthquake14
1861-02-16Nias1°00′N 97°30′E / 1.0°N 97.5°E / 1.0; 97.59058.5Caused major tsunami. See 1861 Sumatra earthquake.1516
1907-01-04 05:19just west of Simeulue2°30′N 95°30′E / 2.5°N 95.5°E / 2.5; 95.52,1888.2–8.4Tsunami earthquake that caused a tsunami that devastated Simeulue and Nias, see 1907 Sumatra earthquake17
1935-12-28 02:35just west of the Batu Islands0°00′N 98°12′E / 0.0°N 98.2°E / 0.0; 98.27.7See 1935 Sumatra earthquake18
1984-11-17 06:49Between Nias and the Batu Islands0°12′N 98°02′E / 0.20°N 98.03°E / 0.20; 98.037.2See 1984 Northern Sumatra earthquake19
2000-06-04 16:2870 km NNW of Enggano Island4°43′S 102°05′E / 4.72°S 102.09°E / -4.72; 102.09103–1417.9See 2000 Sumatra earthquake20
2002-11-02 01:268 km north of Simeulue Regency2°49′N 96°05′E / 2.82°N 96.09°E / 2.82; 96.0937.4See 2002 Sumatra earthquake21
2004-12-26 00:5850 km north of Simeulue Regency3°18′N 95°52′E / 3.30°N 95.87°E / 3.30; 95.87227,8989.2–9.3 MwSee 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2005-03-28 16:09Bangkaru, Banyak Islands2°05′N 97°07′E / 2.08°N 97.11°E / 2.08; 97.111,3038.6 Mw (HRV)See 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake
2007-09-12 11:10125 km SW of Bengkulu4°31′01″S 101°22′55″E / 4.517°S 101.382°E / -4.517; 101.382258.4 Mw (HRV)See 2007 Bengkulu earthquakes
2007-09-12 23:49:04 UTC205 km NW of Bengkulu2°30′22″S 100°54′22″E / 2.506°S 100.906°E / -2.506; 100.906-7.9 Mw (USGS)See 2007 Bengkulu earthquakes
2007-09-13 03:35:26 UTC165 km SSW of Padang2°09′36″S 99°51′04″E / 2.160°S 99.851°E / -2.160; 99.851-7.0 Mw (USGS)See 2007 Bengkulu earthquakes
2008-02-20 08:36:35 UTC310 km SSE of Banda Aceh2°46′41″N 95°58′41″E / 2.778°N 95.978°E / 2.778; 95.97837.4 Mw (USGS)See 2008 Simeulue earthquake22
2008-02-25 08:36:35 UTC160 km SSW of Padang2°21′07″S 100°01′05″E / 2.352°S 100.018°E / -2.352; 100.0187.2 Mw (USGS)23
2009-09-30 10:16:1045 km WNW of Padang0°43′30″N 99°51′22″E / 0.725°N 99.856°E / 0.725; 99.8566,2347.6 Mw (USGS)See 2009 Sumatra earthquakes
2010-04-06 22:15:02 UTC215 km SW of Medan2°21′36″N 97°07′55″E / 2.360°N 97.132°E / 2.360; 97.13262 injuries7.8 Mw (USGS)See 2010 Banyak Islands earthquake
2010-05-09 05:59:42 UTC215 km SSE of Banda Aceh3°44′49″N 96°00′47″E / 3.747°N 96.013°E / 3.747; 96.013-7.2 Mw (USGS)24
2010-10-25 14:42:22 UTC240 km W of Bengkulu3°27′50″S 100°05′02″E / 3.464°S 100.084°E / -3.464; 100.084435 & 100 missing7.7 Mw (USGS)See 2010 Mentawai earthquake and tsunami25

References

  1. Sieh, Kerry (March 2007). "The Sunda megathrust: past, present and future". Journal of Earthquake and Tsunami. 01 (1): 1–19. doi:10.1142/S179343110700002X. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  2. Chlieh, M.; Avouac J.P.; Sieh K.; Natawidjaja D.H.; Galetzka J. (2008). "Heterogeneous coupling of the Sumatran megathrust constrained by geodetic and paleogeodetic measurements" (PDF). Journal of Geophysical Research. 113 (B05305): B05305. Bibcode:2008JGRB..113.5305C. doi:10.1029/2007jb004981. Retrieved 2009-11-05. /wiki/Danny_Hilman_Natawidjaja ↩

  3. Sieh, Kerry (March 2007). "The Sunda megathrust: past, present and future". Journal of Earthquake and Tsunami. 01 (1): 1–19. doi:10.1142/S179343110700002X. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  4. Sieh, Kerry (March 2007). "The Sunda megathrust: past, present and future". Journal of Earthquake and Tsunami. 01 (1): 1–19. doi:10.1142/S179343110700002X. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  5. Sieh, Kerry (March 2007). "The Sunda megathrust: past, present and future". Journal of Earthquake and Tsunami. 01 (1): 1–19. doi:10.1142/S179343110700002X. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  6. Monecke, K.; Finger W.; Klarer D.; Kongko W.; McAdoo B.G.; Moore A.L.; Sudrajat S.U. (2008). "A 1,000-year sediment record of tsunami recurrence in northern Sumatra". Nature. 455 (7217): 1232–1234. Bibcode:2008Natur.455.1232M. doi:10.1038/nature07374. S2CID 4420620. /wiki/Bibcode_(identifier) ↩

  7. Newcomb, K.R.; McCann W.R. (1987). "Seismic history and seismotectonics of the Sunda Arc" (PDF). Journal of Geophysical Research. 92 (B1): 421–439. Bibcode:1987JGR....92..421N. doi:10.1029/JB092iB01p00421. Retrieved 2009-11-06. ftp://ftp.gps.caltech.edu/pub/avouac/Ge277-2007-fall/Newcomb_JGR1987.pdf ↩

  8. Kalashnikova Tamara. "Destructive historical tsunamis at the western coast of Sumatra, Tsunami Laboratory, Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics Siberian Division Russian Academy of Sciences". Tsun.sscc.ru. Retrieved 2010-10-26. http://tsun.sscc.ru/tsulab/20041226tsun.htm ↩

  9. Kerry Sieh* (2006-08-15). "Sieh, K. 2006. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 364 no. 1845 1947–1963". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. 364 (1845): 1947–1963. Bibcode:2006RSPTA.364.1947S. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.694.6737. doi:10.1098/rsta.2006.1807. PMID 16844643. S2CID 8562675. /wiki/Kerry_Sieh ↩

  10. "George Pararas-Carayannis, The great earthquake and tsunami of 1833 off the coast of Central Sumatra in Indonesia". Drgeorgepc.com. Retrieved 2010-10-26. http://www.drgeorgepc.com/Tsunami1833Indonesia.html ↩

  11. Kalashnikova Tamara. "Destructive historical tsunamis at the western coast of Sumatra, Tsunami Laboratory, Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics Siberian Division Russian Academy of Sciences". Tsun.sscc.ru. Retrieved 2010-10-26. http://tsun.sscc.ru/tsulab/20041226tsun.htm ↩

  12. "George Pararas-Carayannis, The great earthquake and tsunami of 1833 off the coast of Central Sumatra in Indonesia". Drgeorgepc.com. Retrieved 2010-10-26. http://www.drgeorgepc.com/Tsunami1833Indonesia.html ↩

  13. "Zachariasen, J., Sieh, K., Taylor, F.W., Edwards, R.L. & Hantoro, W.S. 1999. Submergence and uplift associated with the giant 1833 Sumatran subduction earthquake: Evidence from coral microatolls, Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 104, No. B1, Pages 895–919" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-10-26. http://www.tectonics.caltech.edu/sumatra/downloads/papers/P99a.pdf ↩

  14. Suleyman Nalbant; John McCloskey; Sandy Steacy; Mairead NicBhloscaidh; Shane Murphy (2013). "Interseismic coupling, stress evolution, and earthquake slip on the Sunda megathrust" (PDF). Geophysical Research Letters. 40 (16): 4204–4208. Bibcode:2013GeoRL..40.4204N. doi:10.1002/grl.50776. S2CID 59068187. https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/11389929/Nalbant.pdf ↩

  15. Pankaj Agrawal; Manish Shrikhande (2006). Earthquake resistant design of structures. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. p. 60. ISBN 978-81-203-2892-1. 978-81-203-2892-1 ↩

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  17. Martin S.S.; Li L.; Okal E.A.; Morin J.; Tetteroo A.E.G.; Switzer A.D.; Sieh K.E. (2019-03-26). "Reassessment of the 1907 Sumatra "Tsunami Earthquake" Based on Macroseismic, Seismological, and Tsunami Observations, and Modeling". Pure and Applied Geophysics. 176 (7): 2831–2868. Bibcode:2019PApGe.176.2831M. doi:10.1007/s00024-019-02134-2. hdl:10356/136833. ISSN 1420-9136. S2CID 135197944. /wiki/Bibcode_(identifier) ↩

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  19. Rivera, L.; Sieh, K.; Helmberger, D.; Natawidjaja, D. (2002). "A Comparative Study of the Sumatran Subduction-Zone Earthquakes of 1935 and 1984" (PDF). Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. 92 (5): 1721–1736. Bibcode:2002BuSSA..92.1721R. doi:10.1785/0120010106. Retrieved 25 November 2010. /wiki/Donald_V._Helmberger ↩

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