The 1976 Papua earthquake occurred on 26 June with a

surface wave magnitude The surface wave magnitude (M_s) scale is one of the magnitude scales used in seismology to describe the size of an earthquake. It is based on measurements of Rayleigh surface waves that travel along the uppermost layers of the Earth. This ma ...

of 7.1 in Papua, Indonesia. Total deaths for the event amounted to 422, including 70 who died in subsequent

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated grade (slope), slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of ...

Background

Indonesia lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire, a sector of the Pacific where several tectonic plates intersect. This movement between the plates results in extremely high volcanic and seismic activity. Papua is constantly plagued by

Damage and casualties

Directly after the earthquake the casualty count was assessed as 350 dead. However, landslides soon occurred in the affected area, leading to 72 more casualties, and 5,000–9,000 were missing and assumed dead after the landslides. A total of six villages were demolished in the area. The west sector of Irian and eastern New Guinea also reported that the earthquake was felt significantly in their region.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Papua earthquake 1976 Papua 1976 earthquakes 1976 in Indonesia June 1976 events in Asia Papua (province) 1976 disasters in Indonesia

Background

Damage and casualties

See also

References

External links