Location:

M 8.0 2013 Santa Cruz Islands Earthquake

Magnitude:

8.0

Time:

6 Feb 2013 01:12:25

Depth:

24.0

M 7.0+:

M 7.0; 80 km WNW of Lata, Solomon Islands; (18 Jul 2015) (44km from the earthquake)
M 7.1; 32 km SE of Lata, Solomon Islands; (8 Feb 2013) (99km from the earthquake)
M 7.0; 33 km NW of Lata, Solomon Islands; (6 Feb 2013) (61km from the earthquake)
M 7.1; 112 km WSW of Lata, Solomon Islands; (6 Feb 2013) (49km from the earthquake)

There are 7 swarms found nearby.

2008

PS20080719.1(61.7km)

19 Jul

2 hours

6 earthquakes

2012

PS20120119.1(51.3km)

18 Jan

12 hours

6 earthquakes

2013

PS20130202.1(33.0km)

1 Feb

1 day 22 hours

11 earthquakes

PS20130206.1(11.7km)

5 Feb

6 days 0 hours

144 earthquakes

PS20130206.2(98.9km)

6 Feb

21 hours

11 earthquakes

PS20130213.1(70.4km)

12 Feb

16 hours

6 earthquakes

PS20130218.1(66.5km)

17 Feb

20 hours

5 earthquakes

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The 2013 Santa Cruz Islands Earthquake: Regional Tectonics and Seismic History

The Santa Cruz Islands, located in the southeastern Solomon Islands, lie within one of the most seismically active zones on Earth. This remote archipelago sits at the convergent boundary between the Pacific and Australian plates, where complex subduction and transform faulting drive frequent large earthquakes. The islands form part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, characterized by rapid plate convergence rates exceeding 80 mm per year in places.

On 6 February 2013 at 01:12 UTC, an M8.0 earthquake struck the region at a depth of 24 km. The event, officially known as the 2013 Santa Cruz Islands Earthquake, occurred near the island of Ndeni and generated a tsunami that reached heights of up to 1 meter in parts of the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. No fatalities were reported, though damage to infrastructure occurred on nearby islands.

This mainshock was part of an intense seismic sequence. Within hours, multiple aftershocks above M7.0 occurred, including an M7.1 event 112 km west-southwest of Lata and another M7.0 quake 33 km northwest of Lata. Two days later, an M7.1 struck 32 km southeast of Lata. These events clustered within 100 km of the epicenter, reflecting stress transfer along the subduction interface.

Since 2000, the Santa Cruz Islands region has experienced several other significant earthquakes. Notable examples include an M7.0 event 80 km west-northwest of Lata on 18 July 2015. The pattern underscores the area's persistent seismic hazard driven by ongoing plate boundary deformation.

Geologically, the Santa Cruz Islands overlie the overriding plate above the northward-subducting Australian plate. Historical records document major events in 1934 (M7.7) and 1966 (M7.8), both associated with similar subduction-related mechanisms. Modern monitoring by the USGS and regional networks confirms that the 2013 sequence fits within the long-term recurrence of great earthquakes in this segment of the plate boundary.

References

USGS Earthquake Catalog (earthquake.usgs.gov)
Global CMT Catalog (globalcmt.org)