Earthquake activity near the western boundary of the Fiji Microplates has continued since Sunday’s magnitude 6.9 quake in the Santa Cruz Islands.
During the past week, 13 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.8 and 6.9 have been reported near the collision zone between the Australian Plate and the Fiji Microplates. Most of the quakes have been at shallow depths in the Fiji Microplates close to an area where the Australian Plate is sliding under the microplates which lie between it and the Pacific tectonic plate.
In the lead-up to Sunday’s magnitude 6.9 event in the Santa Cruz Islands, a magnitude 5.5 quake was reported south-east of the Loyalty Islands (370 km ESE of Noumea, New Caledonia), and two quakes of magnitude 4.9 and 5.1 were reported within 85 km of Lata in the Santa Cruz Islands.
Following the magnitude 6.9 quake which struck at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday 2nd of September 2007 (NZST), the Santa Cruz Islands have experienced seven more earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.8 and 5.4, all at shallow depths.
Quake activity continued yesterday, September 3rd, with a magnitude 5.0 quake in the Solomon Islands (255 km west of Lata, Santa Cruz Islands) and a magnitude 5.3 quake 225 km east of Noumea, New Caledonia. The area has been quiet since the event east of Noumea at 9:45 last night.
[Compiled from data supplied by the US Geological Survey and its contributing agencies.]