Mag 6.0 quake shakes the solomon basin, in fact it is the Solomon Sea Plate and has a surface area larger than the entire united kingdom. This plate moves an average 86mm/year and is being subducted by plates to the north and the south-west.
The region of the basin where this earthquake struck is the fault where the Woodlark Plate and the Indo-Australian plate meet the Solomon Sea.
M 6.0 - 121 km S of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea
2021-02-13 15:33:57 (UTC)7.293°S 149.397°E51.8 km depth
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000dhfg/executive
This is not the only notable quake today.
Let's take a step back to my last update from 3 days ago
Large earthquakes in the ocean deep
I made note of a large swarm of quakes starting with a 6, a 5.7, a 6.1 and then a 7.7 and there were more than 89 additional aftershocks.
"There was a large earthquake along the new hebrides trench, or 'New Hebrides Plate' which stretches 25,000 feet deep between New Caldeonia and Vanuatu. This event has been reviewed by USGS and NOAA and there is NO tsunami alert.
@darkflame/large-earthquakes-in-the-ocean-deep
Where was this? 29000km southeast along the fault lines, between New Caldonia and Vanuatu, which is known for its massive underwater quakes that don't normally bother anyone. These seem to be along a deep trench similar to the mariana trench, but with different types of life. Not all deep sea trenches are the same one scientist had remarked if I recall, you can read the article via the link on my last post.
So what? Doesn't bother me at all.
No perhaps not, I do this because I am fascinated by the world and by following the earthquakes I am continually learning about new places and also events that unfold.
For instance, last year I was watching the quakes that were shaking hawaii, and suddenly there were reports and videos coming out about a fissure opening up literally in the backyard of someone who lived on Leilani Estates. That sort of thing is expected when you live on top of a volcano in the ocean, but it was a surprising and interesting event that took place.
In the past no one would ever know except those who lived, and perhaps told the tale. Today with the internet we have more access to information than anyone who has ever lived in all of history. We can learn about anything we want to learn about, and I have spent the last decade watching the quakes ripple around the world.
There are as many as 138 volcanoes under Antarctica and there are volcanoes all over the world that are dormant, and some that are active. If you start to look at the volcanoes you might suddenly find yourself overwhelmed either by the deadly eruptions from the past, the frequency that these volcanic eruptions take place, or specifically one of the most dangerous volcanoes that could erupt in the (hopefully distant) future. None of these scenarios are pleasant, but I do enjoy the movie Volcano.
https://earthquakes.volcanodiscovery.com/
Here is another interesting paper about the Solomon Sea Plate and its formation.
14 significant quakes were recorded over the past 30 days,
However over 10,817 were recorded altogether. This is what I see in slow motion as the shakes roll in. The really shocking reality- is that almost nobody is paying attention to these events. Yes we do have some experts, but the truth is even the experts rely on reports from people just like you!
So then on to today, when Japan was shaken off the coast of Fukushima prefecture by a Mag7.7 earthquake on Saturday. According to Japan Earthquakes, ten hours ago there was a 4.4 followed three hours later by three Magnitude 7 earthquakes.
https://twitter.com/@quakesjapan
Video is beginning to emerge of the shaking on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/MelbaGirard/status/1360709096287133699?s=20
- MelbaGirard
These quakes struck 62km offshore Minamisoma, Japan.
Although the Mag 7.1 was not the only quake, it was the biggest this past month.
Follow this for more Japan quake Tweets.
Alaska has been popping all week but especially today. I took notice because there were so many, here is the past 30 day map again, and then to compare, the past day.
Quite a few right? 249 that you can see right there ^
Mag5.3 among a small swarm offshore Kodiak Island, Alaska
Meanwhile America seems to be splitting apart... Careful on the west coast, from Vancouver to Mexicali. Oklahoma might as well be called a new active zone, with all those quakes.
How many quakes in Oklahoma? At least 461 in just the past month!
I'll keep watching, stay alert and stay safe!