Tilt: South Pacific seismic crisis moving towards geological catastrophism?

July 9, 2011 – KERMADEC - The seismic crisis involving the convulsion of earthquakes along the trench underpinning the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates may be entering what appears to be a new phase of more aggressive geological activity. The spasm of new earthquakes have been of a strong 5+ magnitude range. The diffusion of earthquakes are moving further along the tectonic plate boundary line and we also have activity at another magma plume- Java. Double earthquakes have occurred in the Tonga region- a 5.8 and a 5.3. We’re also seeing an extension of this crisis with seismic activity reported as far away as the Mariana Islands and the New Ireland region of Papua New Guinea registering 4.9 and 4.6 earthquakes. It is only my assessment but I think New Zealanders should prepare for the potentiality of an increase in seismic events or possible tsunami threats starting with the North Island. What we’re seeing is more than typical aftershock patterns.

Gee it really is all starting up again, isn't it, what with this and other posts you've made Carol.

MAP 5.1 2011/07/10 12:07:53 -32.828 -176.883 19.8 SOUTH OF THE KERMADEC ISLANDS
MAP 4.4 2011/07/10 11:49:10 -15.787 -72.622 109.5 SOUTHERN PERU
MAP 3.7 2011/07/10 10:27:18 19.438 -65.275 76.0 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 5.4 2011/07/10 06:57:25 -32.390 -178.287 6.4 SOUTH OF THE KERMADEC ISLANDS

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.php

Just today, and this seems to be the new norm.

Yesterday

MAP 5.2 2011/07/09 23:49:06 -33.583 -178.725 20.3 SOUTH OF THE KERMADEC ISLANDS
MAP 4.9 2011/07/09 23:47:30 -7.970 -13.468 10.0 ASCENSION ISLAND REGION
MAP 3.0 2011/07/09 23:22:14 19.412 -155.606 3.0 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 4.9 2011/07/09 23:17:59 -7.911 -13.639 10.0 ASCENSION ISLAND REGION
MAP 2.6 2011/07/09 23:15:10 61.321 -146.933 20.0 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.6 2011/07/09 22:44:45 5.784 126.064 137.1 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
MAP 5.0 2011/07/09 22:21:05 -29.114 -177.163 20.1 KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
MAP 2.9 2011/07/09 21:26:11 35.795 -120.353 10.7 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.7 2011/07/09 20:05:46 -24.058 -179.418 443.0 SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
MAP 2.6 2011/07/09 19:44:38 38.282 -119.099 5.0 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.7 2011/07/09 19:35:20 -29.359 -176.983 21.7 KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
MAP 5.1 2011/07/09 19:34:36 -29.345 -177.018 5.4 KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
MAP 5.0 2011/07/09 19:02:56 -7.429 128.608 150.8 KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.1 2011/07/09 18:18:34 -29.513 -175.592 42.4 KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
MAP 5.2 2011/07/09 16:17:38 -29.336 -177.108 52.0 KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
MAP 2.8 2011/07/09 16:05:00 36.870 -119.319 20.3 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.1 2011/07/09 15:25:38 -29.861 -177.794 23.4 KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
MAP 5.8 2011/07/09 15:02:29 -29.327 -177.062 23.3 KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
MAP 5.5 2011/07/09 14:40:46 -35.877 178.162 18.3 OFF EAST COAST OF THE NORTH ISLAND, N.Z.
MAP 5.0 2011/07/09 14:12:24 -29.296 -177.172 58.4 KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
MAP 4.9 2011/07/09 13:57:22 -7.375 128.815 146.5 KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.6 2011/07/09 13:54:20 -29.387 -177.124 19.4 KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
MAP 4.8 2011/07/09 13:26:59 -8.974 108.428 36.8 JAVA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.3 2011/07/09 12:54:23 -29.364 -176.287 20.4 KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.9 2011/07/09 12:42:32 16.222 -96.105 40.0 OAXACA, MEXICO
MAP 4.9 2011/07/09 12:20:54 -29.544 -177.089 55.0 KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
MAP 4.5 2011/07/09 11:44:11 -24.948 179.924 494.0 SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
MAP 4.3 2011/07/09 10:57:35 3.391 -75.936 180.7 COLOMBIA
MAP 4.6 2011/07/09 10:01:09 -4.405 153.108 79.2 NEW IRELAND REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 4.9 2011/07/09 07:55:28 16.873 147.120 51.3 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 5.3 2011/07/09 07:08:21 -21.116 -174.640 23.7 TONGA
MAP 5.8 2011/07/09 06:53:47 -21.217 -174.493 13.7 TONGA
MAP 4.7 2011/07/09 06:00:06 -23.681 -66.876 196.1 JUJUY, ARGENTINA
MAP 5.5 2011/07/09 05:51:38 -4.111 129.435 19.6 BANDA SEA
MAP 4.7 2011/07/09 01:53:55 -29.062 -176.609 19.0 KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.9 2011/07/09 01:47:13 51.720 -171.643 25.6 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 4.6 2011/07/09 01:36:33 3.912 126.705 83.8 KEPULAUAN TALAUD, INDONESIA
MAP 2.6 2011/07/09 01:03:44 41.654 -122.231 2.5 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.3 2011/07/09 00:53:17 -29.022 -176.686 19.6 KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.5 2011/07/09 00:10:38 18.882 -65.556 11.6 PUERTO RICO REGION

Boundaries of the Australian Plate

The Australian plate is a product of the seafloor spreading-induced fragmentation of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana. The Australian plate used to be a part of the larger Indo-Australian plate. This plate contains the continents of Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.

The southeastern border of the Australian plate is a convergent boundary with the Pacific plate, although complexities occur near New Zealand. The Pacific plate subducts under the Australian plate to form the Tonga and Kermadec Trenches, and the parallel Tonga and Kermadec island arcs, north of New Zealand. New Zealand straddles this edge, and south of the North Island the tectonic boundary is a transform fault. In the central South Island plate motion is manifested as a predominantly strike-slip movement along the Alpine Fault. In the southwestern part of the South Island, relative plate motion is accommodated by oblique subduction of the Australian plate, and consequent deformation of the overriding Pacific plate inland of the trench, which has produced the Southern Alps of New Zealand.

https://wiki.carleton.edu/display/tectonics/Australian+plate



http://www.themistsofavalon.net/t2496p15-plate-tectonics-earth-s-lithospheric-plates