The United States Geological Survey
recorded a Magnitude 5.7 Earthquake at a depth of 28.43 km, in the Van Rees Mountains of Papua Province, Indonesia, slightly after 4.20 pm local time (slightly after 7.20 am GMT) on Sunday 28 August 2016.An Earthquake of this size has the potential to cause considerable damage, however the area where it occurred is very remote and there are no reports of any damage or casualties at this time.
The approximate location of the 28 August 2016 Van Rees Mountains Earthquake. Google.
The tectonic situation underlying Papua Province is complex, with the island
being made up of a number of small tectonic plates being squeezed
between the larger Pacific and Australian plates. The area affected by
the 6 April quake lies on the boundary between the Maoke Plate, which
underlies much of Papua Province and the Woodlark Plate, which underlies
much of the east of the island. Other parts of the island lie on the
Bird's Head, Australian and South Bismarck Plates. To the north of Papua Province the Caroline Plate is being subducted in the Manus Trench, which
is parallel to the northern shore of the island.
The plates underlying Papua Province and the surrounding area, along with their directions and rates of movement. Wikipedia.
Witness
accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events,
and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit
organization Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who
may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.
See also...
Injuries reported after eruption on Manam Moto, Papua New Guinea. The Rabaul Volcano Observatory reported an eruption on Manam Motu, a
volcanic island 13 km off the north coast of Papua New Guinea on Friday
31 July 2015, which started at about 11.30 am local time...
Landslides kills nine in Papua New Guinea. Nine people have died after two landslides swept through the village of
Kenagi, in Papua New Guinea's Eastern Highlands, late in the evening of
Saturday 2 November 2013, and early in the morning of Sunday...
Another worker killed in fresh Grasberg Mine cave in. A worker has been killed in a cave in at the Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold operated Grasberg Mine in
Indonesian West Papua, less than two weeks after an incident on 14 May
2013, in which 38 workers...
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