Location:

Period:

30 Jan 2008 17:55:40 - 31 Jan 2008 10:15:28 (16 hours 19 minutes)

Volcanoes in 100km radius:

Serua(39km), Nila(51km), Teon(94km)

Earthquakes:

M 7.0+:

M 7.1; Banda Sea; (8 Nov 2023) (18km from the swarm center)
M 7.6; Pulau Pulau Tanimbar, Indonesia; (9 Jan 2023) (93km from the swarm center)
M 7.3; Banda Sea; (24 Jun 2019) (55km from the swarm center)
M 7.1; Banda Sea; (10 Dec 2012) (32km from the swarm center)
M 7.1; Banda Sea; (2 Mar 2005) (39km from the swarm center)

3 swarms found nearby.

2014

PS20140204.1(180.5km)

3 Feb

4 hours

6 earthquakes

2023

PS20231108.1(88.4km)

8 Nov

1 day 4 hours

10 earthquakes

PS20231110.1(66.6km)

10 Nov

1 day 2 hours

7 earthquakes

AI-generated article — for informational and entertainment purposes only. May contain inaccuracies. Full disclaimerFound an error?

Seismic Swarm in the Banda Sea: January 2008 Event and Regional Tectonics

The Banda Sea region in eastern Indonesia represents one of the most tectonically complex areas on Earth, situated at the triple junction where the Indo-Australian, Eurasian, and Pacific plates converge. This setting produces frequent seismic activity, including both isolated large-magnitude events and earthquake swarms. The swarm designated PS20080131.1 occurred over a 16-hour-19-minute period from 17:55 on 30 January 2008 to 10:15 on 31 January 2008, registering five events.

The sequence began with a magnitude 5.3 earthquake at 26 km depth on 30 January at 17:55:40 UTC. Subsequent events on 31 January included a magnitude 5.8 shock at 01:04:28 UTC (10 km depth), a magnitude 5.3 event at 01:41:55 UTC (10 km depth), a magnitude 5.0 earthquake at 08:54:20 UTC (10 km depth), and a final recorded event at 10:15:28 UTC (10 km depth). Most activity clustered at shallow depths around 10 km, consistent with crustal deformation in the overriding plate.

Earthquake swarms in subduction-related settings like the Banda Sea often reflect fluid migration or stress transfer along fault networks rather than a single mainshock-aftershock sequence. The 2008 swarm's moderate magnitudes and tight temporal clustering align with such patterns observed in the region.

The Banda Sea has experienced multiple strong earthquakes since 2000, underscoring persistent seismic hazard. Notable events include a magnitude 7.1 quake on 8 November 2023 located 18 km from the swarm center, a magnitude 7.6 event near Pulau Pulau Tanimbar on 9 January 2023 (93 km distant), a magnitude 7.3 shock on 24 June 2019 (55 km away), a magnitude 7.1 earthquake on 10 December 2012 (32 km distant), and another magnitude 7.1 event on 2 March 2005 (39 km from the center). These occurrences illustrate ongoing plate-boundary strain accumulation.

Geologically, the Banda Sea arc system features rapid subduction and back-arc spreading, contributing to both shallow crustal seismicity and deeper Wadati-Benioff zone activity. Historical records document recurrent large events, with the area's complex fault geometry increasing the likelihood of swarm-type sequences.

References

SeismoSight internal swarm classification data (PS20080131.1)
USGS earthquake catalog for regional events since 2000