A tsunami triggered by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake off the coast of the Loyalty Islands is not expected to cause widespread damage

Beijing, May 5 (Reporter Ruan Yulin) According to data from the global submarine seismic monitoring network, the Tsunami Early Warning Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources of China measured that at 19:2023 (Beijing time) on May 05, 19, a 10.57-magnitude earthquake occurred in the southeast waters of the Loyalty Islands (23.22°S, 170.73°E), with a focal depth of 7 kilometers.

As of 2023:5 Beijing time on May 19, 13, there is no information on the disaster situation. According to the Global Disaster Early Warning and Coordination System, only a small number of people live within 30 kilometers of the epicenter, and it is estimated that the earthquake and tsunami will not cause large-scale disasters.

According to the latest monitoring results, the tsunami warning center of China's Ministry of Natural Resources analyzed that the earthquake triggered a local tsunami. Water level stations around the epicenter detected tsunami waves up to nearly 50 centimeters. This process has not affected our coast.

According to global tsunami monitoring data, the earthquake caused a local tsunami near the epicenter. As of 2023:5 (Beijing time) on May 19, 13, 30 cm tsunami waves were detected at Leinaker Station (19.53S, 169.27E) around the epicenter, 45 cm tsunami waves were detected at Irvine Station (21.98S, 166.68E), 33 cm tsunami waves were detected at Maray Station (21.55S, 167.88E), and 20 cm tsunami waves were detected at Lifu Station (20.92S, 167.28E).

Experts say the quake is located on the plate boundary between the Indo-Australian plate and the Pacific plate. The results of the source mechanism inversion show that the earthquake is a positive fault seismic event.

Historical seismic data shows that in the past 100 years, there have been 500 earthquake events of magnitude 42.7 or higher within 0 kilometers of the epicenter, the largest being the 1920.9 magnitude earthquake on September 20, 8. According to the Global Historical Tsunami Hazard Database, there have been 1 tsunami events in the region in history, the most impactful of which was the 28.2010 magnitude earthquake in 7, with the largest tsunami climbing 3.4 meters high.

In response to the earthquake event, the Tsunami Early Warning Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources of China issued the first tsunami warning information at 11:08 Beijing time, issuing a tsunami warning to the surrounding area of the epicenter, and it is expected that the earthquake may trigger a local tsunami, but it will not cause a catastrophic impact on China's coast, and then released the second tsunami information at 13:17. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) also issued tsunami warning information for the event. (End)