Earthquake that occurs under a body of water, especially an ocean
Submarine earthquake often cause tsunami
Part of a series on
Earthquakes
Types
Mainshock
Foreshock
Aftershock
Blind thrust
Doublet
Interplate
Intraplate
Megathrust
Remotely triggered
Slow
Submarine
Supershear
Tsunami
Earthquake swarm
Causes
Fault movement
Volcanism
Induced seismicity
Characteristics
Epicenter
Epicentral distance
Hypocenter
Shadow zone
Seismic waves
P wave
S wave
Measurement
Seismometer
Seismic magnitude scales
Seismic intensity scales
Prediction
Coordinating Committee for Earthquake Prediction
Forecasting
Other topics
Shear wave splitting
Adams–Williamson equation
Flinn–Engdahl regions
Earthquake engineering
Seismite
Seismology
Earth Sciences Portal
Category
Related topics
v
t
e
A submarine, undersea, or underwater earthquake is an earthquake that occurs underwater at the bottom of a body of water, especially an ocean. They are the leading cause of tsunamis. The magnitude can be measured scientifically by the use of the moment magnitude scale and the intensity can be assigned using the Mercalli intensity scale.
Understanding plate tectonics helps to explain the cause of submarine earthquakes. The Earth's surface or lithosphere comprises tectonic plates which average approximately 50 miles in thickness, and are continuously moving very slowly upon a bed of magma in the asthenosphere and inner mantle. The plates converge upon one another, and one subducts below the other, or, where there is only shear stress, move horizontally past each other (see transform plate boundary below). Little movements called fault creep are minor and not measurable. The plates meet with each other, and if rough spots cause the movement to stop at the edges, the motion of the plates continue. When the rough spots can no longer hold, the sudden release of the built-up motion releases, and the sudden movement under the sea floor causes a submarine earthquake. This area of slippage both horizontally and vertically is called the epicenter, and has the highest magnitude, and causes the greatest damage.
As with a continental earthquake the severity of the damage is not often caused by the earthquake at the rift zone, but rather by events which are triggered by the earthquake. Where a continental earthquake will cause damage and loss of life on land from fires, damaged structures, and flying objects; a submarine earthquake alters the seabed, resulting in a series of waves, and depending on the length and magnitude of the earthquake, tsunami, which bear down on coastal cities causing property damage and loss of life.
Submarine earthquakes can also damage submarine communications cables, leading to widespread disruption of the Internet and international telephone network in those areas. This is particularly common in Asia, where many submarine links cross submarine earthquake zones along Pacific Ring of Fire.
and 29 Related for: Submarine earthquake information
A submarine, undersea, or underwater earthquake is an earthquake that occurs underwater at the bottom of a body of water, especially an ocean. They are...
per hour), depending on water depth. Large waves produced by an earthquake or a submarine landslide can overrun nearby coastal areas in a matter of minutes...
the effects on the crew of alcohol fumes rising from the cargo, submarineearthquakes, waterspouts, attack by a giant squid, and paranormal intervention...
point of failure for the Internet. In December 2006, a magnitude 6.7 submarineearthquake cut several undersea cables at the same time, causing a significant...
Samoa earthquake and tsunami took place on 29 September 2009 in the southern Pacific Ocean adjacent to the Kermadec-Tonga subduction zone. The submarine earthquake...
offshore, as it was the submarine landslide’s power that triggered the wave. List of earthquakes in 1929 List of earthquakes in Canada List of historical...
model. The 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami killed more than 170 people in the Samoa Islands and Tonga. The M8.1 submarineearthquake took place in the region...
Earthquakes in Algeria occur in the north part of the country, usually north of 35° N. latitude, and occasionally as submarineearthquakes in the Mediterranean...
Megathrust earthquakes occur at convergent plate boundaries, where one tectonic plate is forced underneath another. The earthquakes are caused by slip...
of magma beneath the island, and on 9 October a submarine volcanic eruption was detected. An earthquake swarm began east of Mayotte on 10 May 2018. The...
On 1 January 2024, at 16:10 JST (07:10 UTC), a MJMA7.6 (Mw7.5) earthquake struck 6 km (3.7 mi) north-northeast of Suzu, located on the Noto Peninsula of...
earthquakes within stated limits, and particularly "the determination of parameters for the next strong earthquake to occur in a region". Earthquake prediction...
A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the seabed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean...
pitched and rocked violently for about an hour as the result of an submarineearthquake. The Portuguese crews were frightened and one death occurred as a...
Prefecture. On 4 May 1998, a part of the island was destroyed by a submarineearthquake. As a result of increased tensions between Japan, China, and Taiwan...
The 1964 Alaskan earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan earthquake and Good Friday earthquake, occurred at 5:36 pm AKST on Good Friday, March 27...
Arc. The Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and Asian tsunami was a result of the pressure at this zone causing a submarineearthquake which then resulted in a...
fracture zones, many bearing names, that are a major source of submarineearthquakes. A seafloor map will show a rather strange pattern of blocky structures...
island. A comparison was made with the earlier 2002 Sumatra earthquake, a M7.5 submarineearthquake of a similar size that also occurred along the Sunda Arc...
where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates. The primary purpose of a seismometer is to locate the initiating points of earthquake epicenters...
Papua New Guinea earthquake shakes the region near Aitape with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). This submarineearthquake triggered a landslide...
on the moment magnitude scale. The earthquakes not only caused casualties and building damage, but several submarine communications cables were cut, disrupting...
An intraplate earthquake is an earthquake that occurs in the interior of a tectonic plate, in contrast to an interplate earthquake on the boundary of a...
magnitude scales are used to describe the overall strength or "size" of an earthquake. These are distinguished from seismic intensity scales that categorize...
generated by major earthquakes such as the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, 1960 Valdivia earthquake, 1964 Alaska earthquake, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, 2011 Tohoku...
A volcano tectonic earthquake or volcano earthquake is caused by the movement of magma beneath the surface of the Earth. The movement results in pressure...
tsunamis Megathrust earthquake Megatsunami NOAA Center for Tsunami Research Pacific Tsunami Warning Center Submarineearthquake Teletsunami Tsunami deposit...
Global Information
