The 12 April 2014 magnitude 7.6 (11.315°S, 162.211°E, depth=29 km, strike-slip faulting) and 13 April 2014 magnitude 7.4 (11.451°S, 162.069°E, depth=35 km, thrust faulting) about 100 km southeast of Kirakira, Solomon Islands generated small, non-destructive local tsunamis. This region is characterized transitional transform tectonics from thrust faulting along New Britain Trench to the northwest to thrust faulting along the New Hebrides Trench to the southeast. The events triggered regional tsunami warning alerts by the PTWC, which cancelled their alerts 1-2 hrs later when only 20-30 cm wave were observed at the Honiara sea level gauge.
Tsunamis recorded on nearby coastal sea level gauges in the Solomon Islands (Honiara, Lata Wharf), Vanuatu (Luganville, Port Vila), and New Caledonia (Hienghene, Lifou, Ouinne). Courtesy M. Yamamoto. | |
PTWC RIFT coastal tsunami forecast available ~30 min after the earthquake. |