Citation

Hui G, Li S, Wang P, Suo Y, Wang Q, Somerville ID. Sci. Bull. (Beijing) 2018; 63(24): 1635-1640.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1016/j.scib.2018.11.021

PMID

36658855

Abstract

On September 28, 2018, a Mw7.5 earthquake occurred near Sulawesi, Indonesia as a result of strike-slip faulting at shallow depth within the interior of the Molucca Sea Microplate that forms a part of the broader Sunda Plate. Focal mechanism solutions and distribution for the earthquakes indicate rupture occurred on a left-lateral NNW-SSE- to N-S-striking fault. This region has been characterized by complex tectonics in which motions of numerous small microplates are accommodating large-scale convergence between the Australia, Sunda, Pacific and Philippine Sea plates. In this paper, the Coulomb stress calculation verified the WNW-, nearly E-W-trending sinistral strike slip receiver fault in Sulawesi, which is consistent with the giant sinisterly strike-slip fault system across New Guinea, Pacific Tectonic System and the Tethys Tectonic System caused by the oblique convergence. The result has been reconciled within the modern GPS velocity field.

Language: en

Keywords

Fault reactivation; Microplate convergence; Palu earthquake; Sinistral stress-field