Magnitude 8.3 - KURIL ISLANDS

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Earthquake Summary

Felt Reports

One person injured at Waikiki by a tsunami with a measured wave height of 34 cm at Honolulu, Hawaii. One parking lot was flooded at Nawiliwili, Hawaii by a tsunami with a measured wave height of 88 cm. Two docks destroyed and at least one damaged at Crescent City, California by a tsunami with a measured wave height of 176 cm. Felt at Misawa and Yokosuka, Japan and at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russia. Recorded (2 JMA) in eastern and south-central Hokkaido. Recorded (1 JMA) in western Hokkaido and in Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures, Honshu. Tsunami wave heights in centimeters (peak-to- trough) were recorded at the following tide stations: 44 at Pago Pago, American Samoa; 97 at Talcahuano, 82 at Arica, 76 at Caldera, 66 at Coquimbo, 64 at Iquique, 46 at Antofagasta and 40 at Juan Fernandez, Chile; 18 at Rarotonga, Cook Islands; 88 at Nuku Hiva and 11 at Rikitea, French Polynesia; 67 at Santa Cruz and 62 at Baltra, Galapagos Islands; 120 at Tokachi-ko, 100 at Chichi- jima, 80 at Hana-saki, 60 at Hachinohe, 40 at Hakodate, 40 at Kushiro, 40 at Nemuro and 13 at Naha, Japan; 35 on Shikotan, Kuril Islands; 6 on Kanton, Kirbati; 96 on Midway Island; 28 on Kwajalein, Marshall Islands; 58 at Timaru Port, 56 at Kaingaroa, Chatham Island, 33 at Lyttelton Port, 33 at Sumner Head, 32 at Kaikoura and 21 at Moturiki Island, New Zealand; 13 on Niue; 13 on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea; 73 at Callao-La Punta and 24 at Atico, Peru; 57 at Apia, Samoa; 7 at Honiara, Solomon Islands; 5 at Betio, Tarawa; 9 at Nuku`alofa, Tonga; 6 at Funafuti, Tuvalu; 39 at Adak, 36 at King Cove, 32 at Nikolski, 25 at Sitka, 21 at Sand Point, 20 at Shemya Island and 8 at Amchitka Island, Alaska, United States; 118 at Arena Cove, 79 at Santa Barbara, 62 at Point Reyes, 30 at Santa Monica, 22 at Los Angeles, 18 at San Diego and 17 at Richmond, California, United States; 152 at Kahului, 115 at Hale`iwa, 100 at Wai`anae, 98 at Hilo, 88 at Kalaupapa, 85 at Hanalei, 65 at Kawaihae, 64 at Makapu`u, 45 at Lahaina, 26 at Honokohau, 23 at Miloli`i, 13 at Kapoho and 10 at Mokuolo`e, Hawaii, United States; 112 at Port Orford, 38 at Charleston and 34 at South Beach, Oregon, United States; 24 at Port Angeles, Washington, United States; 29 at Port-Vila, Vanuatu; 22 on Wake Island.

Tectonic Summary

The Kuril Islands earthquake of November 15, 2006, occurred as thrust-faulting on the boundary between the Pacific plate and the Okhotsk plate. In the region of the earthquake's epicenter, the Pacific plate moves northwest with respect to the Okhotsk plate with a velocity of about 90 mm/year. The Pacific plate subducts beneath the Okhotsk plate at the Kuril Trench and becomes progressively deeper to the northwest, remaining seismically active to a depth of 680 km. The November 15 mainshock occurred at shallow depth within about 80 km of the trench axis.

The November 15 earthquake is the largest earthquake to have occurred in the central Kuril Islands since the early 20th century. A central Kuril Islands earthquake in 1915 is estimated to have had a magnitude of about 8. The central Kuril Islands commonly experiences one or more shocks of magnitude 6 or greater in a decade. To the southwest, the southern Kuril Islands chain experienced a magnitude 8.5 earthquake in 1963. To the northeast, a magnitude 9 earthquake occurred offshore of Kamchatka in 1952.

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Central Kuril Island Tsunami in Crescent City, California

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