The 1965 Ceram Sea earthquake occurred on January 24 at 00:11 UTC with a moment magnitude of 8.2 and its epicenter was located just off the southwestern coast of
Sanana Island
Sanana or Sulabesi Island (earlier name Xulla Besi) is an island south of Mangoli Island, and is part of the Sula Islands Regency in the North Maluku province of Indonesia. Sanana is also the name of that island's largest settlement, home to th ...
in eastern
Indonesia.
The event occurred at a depth of 28 kilometers under the
Ceram Sea, and a
tsunami was generated which caused damage in Sanana,
Buru, and
Mangole. During the tsunami three consecutive run-ups were reported in
Seram Island
Seram (formerly spelled Ceram; also Seran or Serang) is the largest and main island of Maluku province of Indonesia, despite Ambon Island's historical importance. It is located just north of the smaller Ambon Island and a few other adjacent is ...
, and a four-meter run-up was reported at Buru Island.
A series of tremors were reported during the week leading up to the mainshock. The number of people reported dead was 71 and up to 3,000 buildings and a total of 14 bridges were destroyed by both the earthquake and tsunami on Sanana.
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Cause of earthquake/tsunami
The 1965 Ceram Sea earthquake was caused by a convergent plate boundary
A convergent boundary (also known as a destructive boundary) is an area on Earth where two or more lithospheric plates collide. One plate eventually slides beneath the other, a process known as subduction. The subduction zone can be defined by a ...
located near Indonesia. A convergent plate boundary is where a denser oceanic plate is forced under a continental plate in a process known as subduction
Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at convergent boundaries. Where the oceanic lithosphere of a tectonic plate converges with the less dense lithosphere of a second plate, the ...
. When the earthquake occurred, the plates shifted releasing massive amounts of energy and causing a large displacement of water. This water then moves very fast towards land until it approaches the shore, where wave shoaling
In fluid dynamics, wave shoaling is the effect by which surface waves, entering shallower water, change in wave height. It is caused by the fact that the group velocity, which is also the wave-energy transport velocity, changes with water depth ...
builds up the height of the tsunami. This added height from the friction of the shoreline allows the wave to travel far inland wreaking havoc on communities. This tsunami, in combination with the earthquake, is responsible for the 71 deaths. Indonesia is especially susceptible to earthquakes and tsunamis in large part due to its proximity to the Ring of Fire, an area notable for high levels of seismic activity. Events such as tsunamis cause massive amounts of physical and economic damage to regions such as Indonesia.
See also
*List of earthquakes in 1965
This is a list of earthquakes in 1965. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the ...
*List of earthquakes in Indonesia
__NOTOC__
This is an incomplete list of more recent recorded major earthquakes that have occurred within the boundaries of Indonesia. The determinants of the activity are indicated by the geology of the region, and the volcanic activity.
Large nu ...
References
External links
Tsunamis in Indonesia
– Disaster Prevention Research Institute Kyoto University
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Ceram Sea Earthquake, 1965
Ceram Sea Earthquake, 1965
Megathrust earthquakes in Indonesia
1960s tsunamis
Tsunamis in Indonesia
January 1965 events in Asia
1965 disasters in Indonesia
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