Are earthquakes common in Samoa?
The 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami took place on 29 September 2009 in the southern Pacific Ocean adjacent to the Kermadec-Tonga subduction zone. This is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates in the Earth’s lithosphere meet and earthquakes and volcanic activity are common.
Does Tonga get earthquakes?
The motion of these two plates has created one of the most seismogenic (“earthquake making”) regions in the world; every year, there are approximately 200 earthquakes near Tonga! The effects of these earthquakes can be felt around the world.
Can an earthquake cause an island to sink?
This particular earthquake causes one side of the landscape to fall in relation to the other, which sent the nearby islands sinking downward. The team found that nearly a decade after the event, the island of Samoa has sunk by roughly 0.4 inches a year.
How many died in the Samoa tsunami?
189
2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami/Number of deaths
Why does Tonga have so many earthquakes?
The Kermadec-Tonga subduction zone generates many large earthquakes on the interface between the descending Pacific and overriding Australia plates, within the two plates themselves and, less frequently, near the outer rise of the Pacific plate east of the trench.
What ocean is the Tonga Trench in?
South Pacific Ocean
Tonga Trench, submarine trench in the floor of the South Pacific Ocean, about 850 miles (1,375 km) in length, forming the eastern boundary of the Tonga Ridge; the two together constitute the northern half of the Tonga-Kermadec Arc, a structural feature of the Pacific floor completed to the south by the Kermadec Trench …
Where did the tsunami hit in American Samoa?
Varying tsunami runup heights (elevations of farthest points inland reached by tsunami) on the island of Tutuila, American Samoa. Bruce Jaffe, USGS, was part of an international tsunami survey team (ITST) that measured runup heights on October 5-6, 2009.
What was the magnitude of the earthquake in Samoa?
FROM EARLIER: PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (AP) – A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of up to 8.3 struck in the South Pacific between Samoa and American Samoa around dawn Tuesday, sending terrified residents fleeing for higher ground as a tsunami swept ashore, flattening at least one village. There were no immediate reports of fatalities.
What was the damage to the Samoa Islands?
The devastation extended beyond human casualties with houses destroyed, cars swept out to sea and some villages being virtually annihilated. With over $200 million dollars in damages, the islands were ravaged both physically and economically.
Where did the tsunami hit on September 29, 2009?
However, the events of September 29 involved a magnitude 8.1 earthquake on a normal fault within the outer rise; and the other magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred on the subduction zone as a thrust event. Boats were washed ashore during the 2009 tsunami in Malaloa, American Samoa. Courtesy of NOAA NCEI/Richard Madsen.