The 1998 Papua New Guinea Earthquake and its Fault Plane Estimated from Relocated Aftershocks

— The 1998 Papua New Guinea earthquake of M _w 7.0 occurred near the Wewak trench where the North Bismarck plate is subducting beneath the Australian plate. Its mechanism is thrust-type, and one of the nodal planes is almost parallel to the plate interface. To determine which of the two nodal planes of the main shock is the fault plane, we relocated the main shock and aftershocks using a method of modified joint hypocenter determination. We combined and employed two types of data in this study. Firstly, we used data reported by the National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which includes three stations at the northeastern edge of Irian Jaya and one station in northern Papua New Guinea, from which the epicentral distances are less than 2 degrees. Secondly, in addition to the above permanent-station data, we used data from temporary aftershock observations near the epicentral area around the Sissano Lagoon carried out by Tsuji et al. (1998). Using three-component seismometers, they carried out observations from August 2 to October 2, 1998 at three sites. Although the network did not record the main shock and immediate aftershocks, the data obtained by temporary observation sites can clearly assist in identifying their absolute locations, since it is possible to apply the joint hypocenter determination (JHD) method. Hypocenters were relocated between the coastline and the Wewak trench, distributed along a nodal plane dipping shallowly to the southwest. Therefore, we can conclude that this nodal plane is the main shock fault and that the 1998 Papua New Guinea earthquake was an interplate earthquake between the North Bismarck and Australian plates.     

The July 1998 Papua New Guinea Earthquake: Mechanism and Quantification of Unusual Tsunami Generation

— The unusual tsunami generated by the July 17, 1998 Papua New Guinea earthquake was investigated on the basis of various geophysical observations, including seismological data, tsunami waveform records, and on-land and submarine surveys. The tsunami source models were constructed for seismological high-angle and low-angle faults, splay fault, and submarine slumps. Far-field and near-field tsunamis computed from these models were compared with the recorded waveforms in and around Japan and the measured heights along the coast around Sissano Lagoon, respectively. In order to reproduce the far-field tsunami waveforms, small sources such as splay fault or submarine slump alone were not enough, and a seismological fault model was required. Relocated aftershock distribution and observed coastal subsidence were preferable for the low-angle fault, but the low-angle fault alone could not reproduce the large near-field tsunamis. The low-angle fault with additional source, possibly a submarine slump, is the most likely source of the 1998 tsunami, although other possibilities cannot be excluded. Computations from different source models showed that the far-field tsunami amplitudes are proportional to the displaced water volume at the source, and the comparison with the observed tsunami amplitudes indicated that the displaced water volume at the 1998 tsunami source was ～0.6 km³. The near-filed tsunami heights, on the other hand, are determined by the potential energy of displaced water, and the comparison with the observed heights showed that the potential energy was ～2 × 10¹² J.     

Seepage erosion and its implication to the formation of amphitheatre valley heads: A case study at Obara,Japan

Seepage erosion was investigated in an amphitheatre with a semicircular valley head, steep slopes, and a flat bottom developed in granodiorite hills at Obara, Aichi prefecture, Japan. A high sediment yield occurred where the measuring sites were located at the base of the landslide debris in the base of the convex slopes, whereas sediment outflows were small where the measuring sites were located at the base of the strong convex slopes. This implies that the seepage erosion was an effective agent for removal of debris deposited at the base of the slope. Small landslides can be found at the lower slopes within the area of the observed amphitheatre. The slope stability analysis and subsurface water observation of the lower slope suggest that the small landslides in this amphitheatre are due to over-steepened slopes, and relatively insensitive to subsurface water status. Colluvium in the flat valley bottom thinly covers the bedrock surface. Therefore the topography of the amphitheatre was found to be formed by parallel retreat of slopes by the repetition of basal seepage erosion and subsequent small landslides.     

Application of Analytical Modeling to the Far-field Investigation of Tsunami and Oceanic Rayleigh Waves from the 1998 Papua New Guinea Earthquake

We analyze far-field Rayleigh and tsunami waves generated by the 1998 Papua New Guinea (PNG) earthquake. Using the normal mode theory and Thomson-Haskell matrix formalism we calculate synthetic mareograms of oceanic surface waves excited by finite-dimensional line source and propagated in a flat, multilayered oceanic structure. Assuming that the source of destructive sea waves was the main shock of the PNG event and based on the expression for seismic wave displacement in the far-field zone, we compute the energy of the seismic and tsunami waves and the E_z /E_ts ratio. The results of our modeling are generally consistent with those obtained empirically for events with magnitude 7. Also, treating the results of a submarine slide as a single solitary wave and using the theoretical arguments of Striem and Miloh (1976) we estimate the energy of the tsunami induced by a landslide. The difference between the energy of the seismic tsunami and of the aseismic one is about one order of magnitude.The results of our theoretical modeling show that surface sea waves in the far-field zone account well for seismic origin, although additional tsunami energy from a landslide source could be required to explain the local massive tsunami in the Sissano Lagoon.     

Tectonics and Slumping in the Source Region of the 1998 Papua New Guinea Tsunami from Seismic Reflection Images

— In September 1999, we collected seven high resolution seismic reflection profiles along the northern continental margin of Papua New Guinea, which targeted the source region of the 1998 tsunami that inundated Sissano Lagoon. We utilized swath bathymetry collected by the JAMSTEC/SOPAC groups in January 1999. The seismic profiles image several faults, bottom simulating reflectors, and a large rotational slump. The slump has a head scarp of 100 m vertical extent, coinciding with the headwall and tension cracks observed previously by submersible at the southern edge of the amphitheater. The central, back-rotated part of the slump is coherent with parallel reflections. The interpreted basal failure plane has a maximum depth of 760 m below the seafloor, and it crops out at a steep escarpment, about 100 meters high, located 4.5 km north of the head scarp. This escarpment separates the slide toe from a series of seafloor-parallel, coherent reflections that are top-lapped by basin deposits at the foot of the amphitheater to the north. The cross-sectional area of the displaced mass is 2.3 km². From the bathymetry, the width is approximately 2.5–3 km, yielding a total volume (assuming parabolic shape) of 3.8–4.6 km³. Based on these interpretations, the slump was restored to its undeformed position. This technique yields a center of mass vertical drop of 380 m, horizontal movement of 840 m and slip of 980 m along the slide plane.     

Re-examination of the Source Mechanism of the 1998 Papua New Guinea Earthquake and Tsunami

— Simulation of tsunami propagation and runup of the 1998 Papua New Guinea (PNG) earthquake tsunami using the detailed bathymetry measured by JAMSTEC and adding bathymetric data at depths less than 60 m is carried out, reproducing the tsunami energy focus into Warapu and Arop along the Sissano Lagoon. However, the computed runup heights in the lagoon are still lower than those measured. Even if the error in estimating the fault parameters is taken into consideration, computational results are similar. Analysis by the wave ray method using several scenarios of the source size of the tsunami and location by the wave ray method suggests that a source characterized by small size in water 1,000-m deep approximately 25 km offshore the lagoon, best fits the arrival determined from the interviews with eyewitnesses. A two-layer numerical model simulating the interaction of the tsunami with a landslide is employed to study the behavior of a landslide-generated tsunami with different size sand depths of the initial slide just outside the lagoon. A landslide model with a volume of 4–8 × 10⁹ m³ is selected as the best in order to reproduce the distribution of the measured tsunami runup in the lagoon. The simulation of a tsunami generated in two stages, fault and landslide, could show good agreement with the runup heights and distribution of the arrival time, but a time gap of around 10 minutes remains, suggesting that a tsunami generated by the mainshock at 6:49 PM local time is too small for people to notice, and the following tsunami triggered by landslide or mass movement near the lagoon about ten minutes after the mainshock attacked the coast and caused the huge damage.     

Seismically-induced landslides in the Betic Cordillera (S Spain)

A database of seismically-induced landslides in the Betic Cordillera is presented. Data included were classified according to landslide typology. Most of them (≈80%) correspond to small size, disrupted landslides (including rock/earth falls and earth slides that disorganize as mass-movement progresses) and the remaining consist mainly of coherent landslides (slumps in soils and rock-slides). Deep seated induced landslides are uncommon in the study zone and have occurred only after the few events of large magnitude reported in the Cordillera. Data available show that events of small magnitude (M_w<5.0) can induce instabilities in the study zone for comparatively large distances (>10 km) when compared with available upper bound curves for maximum epicentral distances for seismic induced landslides, that concentrate along areas prone to landsliding, like river banks or slopes on soft materials, which points out the importance of the role of slope susceptibility on the occurrence of instabilities during earthquakes. Landslides in the database are then analyzed and a power-law relationship that relates earthquake size, measured as epicentral intensity (I_o), to maximum distance of induced landslide valid for the study zone is proposed. Although included data represent a clear partial and incomplete dataset, they show the landslide state of knowledge for this region.     

Erosion and Sedimentation from the 17 July, 1998 Papua New Guinea Tsunami

— This paper describes erosion and sedimentation associated with the 17 July 1998 Papua New Guinea tsunami. Observed within two months of the tsunami, distinct deposits of a layer averaging 8-cm thick of gray sand rested on a brown muddy soil. In most cases the sand is normally graded, with more coarse sand near the base and fine sand at the top. In some cases the deposit contains rip-up clasts of muddy soil and in some locations it has a mud cap. Detailed measurements of coastal topography, tsunami flow height and direction indicators, and deposit thickness were made in the field, and samples of the deposit were collected for grain-size analysis in the laboratory. Four shore-normal transects were examined in detail to assess the shore-normal and along shore distribution of the tsunami deposit. Near the shoreline, the tsunami eroded approximately 10–25 cm of sand from the beach and berm. The sandy layer deposited by the tsunami began 50–150 m inland from the shoreline and extended across the coastal plain to within about 40 m of the limit of inundation; a total distance of up to 750 m from the beach. As much as 2/3 of the sand in the deposit originated from offshore. Across most of the coastal plain the deposit thickness and mean grain size varied little. In the along-shore direction the deposit thickness varied with the tsunami wave height; both largest near the entrance to Sissano Lagoon.     

Large-scale volcanic cone collapse: The 1888 slope failure of Ritter volcano,and other examples from Papua New Guinea

A largely submarine avalanche amphitheatre that formed catastrophically in 1888 on Ritter volcano has been identified from a bathymetric survey. Collapse of the volcano in 1888 therefore is considered to have been caused by rapid, large-scale slope failure, rather than by cauldron subsidence, as previously supposed. Escarpments of pre-historic slope failures are common on other Papua New Guinea volcanoes. Directions of avalanching on some volcanoes in the Bismarck volcanic arc appear to be controlled by a regional stress pattern, and those for some volcanoes in the Fly-Highlands province on mainland Papua New Guinea point away from the regional centre of Pliocene uplift. Large amphitheatres such as at Doma Peaks in the Fly-High-lands province probably originated by multiple collapses.     

Evolution of the north flank of Tenerife by recurrent giant landslides

Geomorphologic analysis of submarine and subaerial surface features using a combined topographic/bathymetric digital elevation model coupled with onshore geological and geophysical data constrain the age and geometry of giant landslides affecting the north flank of Tenerife. Shaded relief and contour maps, and topographic profiles of the submarine north flank, permit the identification of two generations of post-shield landslides. Older landslide materials accumulated near the shore (<40-km) and comprise 700 km³ of debris. Thickening towards a prominent axis suggests one major landslide deposit. Younger landslide materials accumulated 40–70 km offshore and comprise the products of three major landslides: the La Orotava landslide complex, the Icod landslide and the East Dorsal landslide complex, each with an onshore scar, a proximal submarine trough, and a distal deposit lobe. Estimated lobe volumes are 80, 80 and 100 km³, respectively. The old post-shield landslide scar is an amphitheatre, 20–25 km wide, partly submarine, now completely filled with younger materials. Age–width relationships for Tenerife's coastal platform plus onshore geological constraints suggest an age of ca. 3 Ma for the old collapse. Young landslides are all less than 560 ka old. The La Orotava and Icod slides involved failures of slabs of subaerial flank to form the subaerial La Orotava and Icod valleys. Offshore, they excavated troughs by sudden loading and basal erosion of older slide debris. The onshore East Dorsal slide also triggered secondary failure of older debris offshore. The slab-like geometry of young failures was controlled by weak layers, deep drainage channels and flank truncation by marine erosion. The (partly) submarine geometry of the older amphitheatre reflects the absence of these features. Relatively low H/L ratios for the young slides are attributed to filling of the slope break at the base of the submarine edifice by old landslide materials, low aspect ratios of the failed slabs and channelling within troughs. Post-shield landslides on Tenerife correlate with major falls in sea level, reflecting increased rates of volcanism and coastal erosion, and reduced support for the flank. Landslide head zones have strongly influenced the pattern of volcanism on Tenerife, providing sites for major volcanic centres.     

Distribution of Landslides in Baoshan City, Yunnan Province, China

Using Google Earth software as a platform, this study has established an integrated database of both old and new landslides in Baoshan City, Yunnan Province, China, and analyzed their development characteristics together with distribution rules, respectively. Based on the results, a total of 2 427 landslides occurred in the study area, including 2 144 new landslides and 283 old landslides, with a total area of about 104.8 km². The new landslides are mostly in small-scales with an area less than 10 000 m², while the area of individual old landslide is mostly larger than 10 000 m². By analyzing the relationship between the two types of landslides and eight impact factors (i.e., elevation, slope angle, slope aspect, slope position, lithology, fault, regional Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA), and average annual rainfall), the different individual influencing factors, distribution regularities and mechanisms of the two types of landslides are revealed. In detail, the main influencing factors of new landslides are elevation, slope angle, slope aspect, slope position, lithology, regional PGA and average annual rainfall, while the influencing factors of old landslides are mainly elevation, slope angle, and lithology. This study provides basic data and support for landslide assessment and further disaster reduction in Baoshan City. Besides, it also provides new constraints in deeply understanding the effect of different topographic and geological conditions, historical earthquakes, rainfall and other factors on the occurrence mechanisms of both new landslides and old landslides.     

Eyewitness Accounts of the Impact of the 1998 Aitape Tsunami, and of Other Tsunamis in Living Memory, in the Region from Jayapura, Indonesia, to Vanimo, Papua New Guinea

Field investigations in 1999 confirmed that the tsunami that struck the Aitape coast of Papua New Guinea on 17 July, 1998 caused damage at points as far as 230 km to the west-northwest, particularly at locations where the coast is indented. Eyewitnesses saw the sea withdraw (in most cases), then surge to levels around 2 m higher than normal in a series of three waves. In some cases the time of arrival of the waves is known approximately by reference to the onset of darkness and to felt earthquakes. Seiche waves followed in some bays, notably in Yos Sudarso Bay, Indonesia, where waves persisted for 3–5 days. Damage was caused by the backwash from the waves. Bodies presumed to be those of Aitape victims were seen floating at sea off Jayapura five days after the tsunami. We record the recollections of people in the Yos Sudarso Bay area who experienced a number of tsunamis in the past 60 years; people that we interviewed on the Papua New Guinea side of the border recollected few or none.     

Sonar Studies of Submarine Mass Wasting and Volcanic structures off Savaii Island, Samoa

—Sidescan sonar observations show that mass wasting plays an important role in the geologic development of the Savaii Island edifice. Observations on the south and west flanks indicate that debris movement on the submarine slopes between rift zones is characterized by large sheets of unchannelized debris. Farther downslope these sheets have slumped into folded although still relatively coherent slump sheets. Closer to the rift zones, more chaotic slumps are found. The presence of large detached landslide blocks, without obvious upslope headwall scarps, suggests that earlier slumps are covered by subsequent veneers of debris moving downslope.¶In contrast, on Stearns Bank west of the island of Savaii most of the features are of constructional origin, formed during the building of this volcanic edifice of unknown age. Two prominentsubmarine platforms are evident, the shallower one with a summit cone. Sea cliffs and subdued terraces record platforms cut by sea-level oscillations late in the history of the volcanic edifice. Fractures and fissures are present on the bank, however there is little evidence of landslides in this area. The absence of landslides may reflect differing ages of the bank and the island or the edifice could have remained submarine during its construction with few or no subaerially derived ashes and clays present to facilitate mass wasting.¶We conclude that mass wasting is an important influence on the evolution of the Savaii volcanic edifice. It appears that sediment and debris cover most of the slope outside the submarine rift zones. The sonar images indicate that mass wasting is a common process in the submarine environment. Unlike the giant landslides documented by GLORIA imagery around the Hawaiian Islands, the southern margin of Samoa is characterized by numerous small slumps and slides. Although we have little information at present regarding the recurrence interval for submarine landslides, their ubiquitous presence in these sidescan sonar records indicates that they are an important component of the geologic record of the Samoan Islands.     

Spatial distribution analysis of landslides triggered by the 2013-04-20 Lushan earthquake,China

The 2013-04-20 Lushan earthquake(seismic magnitude Ms 7.0 according to the State Seismological Bureau)induced a large number of landslides.In this study,spatial characteristics of landslides are developed by interpreting digital aerial photography data.Seven towns near the epicenter,with an area of about 11.11 km2,were severely affected by the earthquake,and 703 landslides were identified from April 24,2013 aerial photography data over an area of 1.185 km2.About 55.56% of the landslide area was less than 1000 m2,whereas about 3.23 % was more than 10,000 m2.Rock falls and shallow landslides were the most commonly observed types in the study area,and were primarily located in the center of Lushan County.Most landslide areas were widely distributed near river channels and along roads.Five main factors were chosen to study the distribution characteristics of landslides:elevation,slope gradients,fault,geologic unit and river system.The spatial distribution of coseismal landslides is studied statistically using both landslide point density(LPD),defined as the number of landslides(LS Number)per square kilometer,and landslide area density(LAD),interpreted as the percentage of landslides area affected by earthquake.The results show that both LPD and LAD have strong positive correlations with five main factors.Most landslides occurred in the gradient range of 40°-50° and an elevation range of 1.0-1.5 km above sea level.Statistical results also indicate that landslides were mainly formed in soft rocks such as mudstone and sandstone,and concentrated in IX intensity areas.     

The Spatial Distribution and Attribute Parameter Statistics of Landslides Triggered by the May 12th, 2008, MW7.9 Wenchuan Earthquake

A complete landslide inventory and attribute database is the importantly fundamental for the study of the earthquake-induced landslide. Substantial landslides were triggered by the M_W7.9 Wenchuan earthquake on May 12^th, 2008. Google Earth images of pre- and post-earthquakes show that 52 194 co-seismic landslides were recognized and mapped, with a total landslides area of 1 021 km².Based on the statistics,we assigned all landslide parameters and established the co-seismic landslides database, which includes area, length, and width of landslides, elevation of the scarp top and foot edge, and the top and bottom elevations of each located slope. Finally, the spatial distribution and the above attribute parameters of landslides were analyzed. The results show that the spatial distribution of the co-seismic landslides is extremely uneven. The landslides that mainly occur in a rectangular area (a width of 30 km of the hanging wall of the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault and a length of 120 km between Yingxiu and Beichuan) are obviously controlled by surface rupture, terrain, and peak ground acceleration. Meanwhile, a large number of small landslides (individual landslide area less than 10 000 m²)contribute less to the total landslides area. The number of landslides larger than 10 000 m² accounts for 38.7% of the total number of co-seismic landslides, while the area of those landslides account for 88% of the total landslides area. The 52 194 co-seismic landslides are caused by bedrock collapse that usually consists of three parts:source area, transport area, and accumulation area. However, based on the area-volume power-law relationship, the resulting regional landslide volume may be much larger than the true landslide volume if the landslide volume is calculated using the influenced area from each landslide.     

Spatial Distribution of Seismic Landslides in the Areas of 1927 Gulang M8.0 Earthquake

The 1927 Gulang M8.0 earthquake has triggered a huge number of landslides, resulting in massive loss of people''s life and property. However, integrated investigations and results regarding the landslides triggered by this earthquake are rare; such situation hinders the deep understanding of these landslides such as scale, extent, and distribution. With the support of Google Earth software, this study intends to finish the seismic landslides interpretation work in the areas of Gulang earthquake (VIII-XI degree) using the artificial visual interpretation method, and further analyze the spatial distribution and impact factors of these landslides. The results show that the earthquake has triggered at least 936 landslides in the VIII-XI degree zone, with a total landslide area of 58.6 km². The dense area of seismic landslides is located in the middle and southern parts of the X intensity circle. Statistical analysis shows that seismic landslides is mainly controlled by factors such as elevation, slope gradient, slope direction, strata, seismic intensity, faults and rivers. The elevation of 2 000-2 800 m is the high-incidence interval of the landslide. The landslide density is larger with a higher slope gradient. East and west directions are the dominant sliding directions. The areas with Cretaceous and Quaternary strata are the main areas of the Gulang seismic landslides. The X intensity zone triggered the most landslides. In addition, landslides often occur in regions near rivers and faults. This paper provides a scientific reference for exploring the development regularities of landslides triggered by the 1927 Gulang earthquake and effectively mitigating the landslide disasters of the earthquake.     

An open-accessed inventory of landslides triggered by the MS 6.8 Luding earthquake,China on September 5, 2022

This study constructs a preliminary inventory of landslides triggered by the M_S 6.8 Luding earthquake based on field investigation and human-computer interaction visual interpretation on optical satellite images. The results show that this earthquake triggered at least 5 007 landslides, with a total landslide area of 17.36 ?km², of which the smallest landslide area is 65 ?m² and the largest landslide area reaches 120 747 ?m², with an average landslide area of about 3 500 ?m². The obtained landslides are concentrated in the IX intensity zone and the northeast side of the seismogenic fault, and the area density and point density of landslides are 13.8%, and 35.73 ?km^?2 peaks with 2 ?km as the search radius. It should be noted that the number of landslides obtained in this paper will be lower than the actual situation because some areas are covered by clouds and there are no available post-earthquake remote sensing images. Based on the available post-earthquake remote sensing images, the number of landslides triggered by this earthquake is roughly estimated to be up to 10 000. This study can be used to support further research on the distribution pattern and risk evaluation of the coseismic landslides in the region, and the prevention and control of landslide hazards in the seismic area.     

基于分形的巴谢河流域滑坡空间分布格局及其影响因素分析

定量研究区域滑坡空间分布规律,揭示不同类型滑坡的分布格局,对预测和评价滑坡危险性有重要指导意义。基于ArcGIS空间分析功能及分形理论的关联维数和盒计维数,分析了巴谢河流域黄土滑坡及黄土-泥岩滑坡的空间分布格局及其影响因素。结果表明：区域滑坡个体关联具有多尺度分形,黄土滑坡与黄土-泥岩滑坡分别在8 km、12 km尺度上存在阈值,滑坡个体在该阈值尺度前后呈现不同的相关程度,且黄土滑坡个体空间的关联程度和聚集程度均高于黄土-泥岩滑坡;黄土-泥岩滑坡分布范围广、形态复杂,其面积展布盒计维数大于黄土滑坡;地层岩性及坡度对两类滑坡分布格局的影响较大,沟壑密度次之,起伏度影响较小。     

Landslide Tsunamis: Recent Findings and Research Directions

— Underwater landslides can trigger local tsunamis with high runup, endangering human life and devastating coastal cities, offshore structures, communication cables, and port facilities. Unfortunately, hazards from underwater landslides are not well understood and the extents of their potential damage remain difficult to ascertain at present. There is immediate need for multidisciplinary research to improve our understanding and plan countermeasures for mitigating their hazards. Conceived in the wake of the Papua New Guinea earthquake landslide and tsunami of 1998, this volume summarizes the state-of-the-art knowledge on underwater landslides and their potential to generate tsunamis from the multidisciplinary perspectives of observational and engineering seismology, geotechnical engineering, marine geology, and hydrodynamics. These various fields of engineering and science offer new synergetic opportunities to examine landslide tsunamis. This paper makes recommendations on future research directions, and will hopefully advance scientists' and engineers' understanding of these natural hazards and assist planners in mitigating their risks.