Great Sumatran fault

The Great Sumatran fault is part of the system where strain partitioning was first described in plate tectonics.{{cite journal|last1=Fitch|first1=Thomas|title=Plate Convergence, Transcurrent Faults, and Internal Deformation Adjacent to Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific|journal=Journal of Geophysical Research|volume=77|issue=23|pages=4432–4460|doi=10.1029/jb077i023p04432|bibcode=1972JGR....77.4432F|year=1972|hdl=2060/19720023718|hdl-access=free}} The convergence between the Indo-Australian plate and the Sunda plate is not perpendicular to the plate boundary in this region. Instead, the two plates move at an oblique angle. Most of the convergent strain is accommodated by thrust motion at the plate boundary "megathrust" fault that defines the Sunda Trench. But the oblique motion (the part of the plate motion parallel to the plate boundary) is accommodated by the Great Sumatran fault, which runs along the volcanic Sunda Arc.

The area between the main plate boundary thrust fault and the Great Sumatran fault forms a "sliver plate" that includes the entire offshore forearc, forearc islands, and the portion of Sumatra west of the Great Sumatran fault. This sliver plate is not a single rigid bloc, and the details of its internal deformation are under active investigation.{{cite journal|last1=Bradley|first1=Kyle|title=Implications of the diffuse deformation of the Indian Ocean lithosphere for slip partitioning of oblique plate convergence in Sumatra|journal=Journal of Geophysical Research|date=2016|volume=121|issue=1 |doi=10.1002/2016JB013549|pages=572–591|bibcode=2017JGRB..122..572B|doi-access=free|hdl=10220/42240|hdl-access=free}}

Listed from northwest to southeast:

• April 2, 1964: M_w 7.0 event near the northern tip of Sumatra and the city Banda Aceh.{{cite web|title=M 7.0 – 5 km NE of Banda Aceh, Indonesia|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/iscgem868224/executive|publisher=United States Geological Survey|department=Earthquake Hazards Program|access-date=1 February 2022}}
• September 19, 1936: M_w 7.2 event (3.685°N 97.535°E){{cite web|title=M 7.2 – 90 km WSW of Pangkalan Brandan, Indonesia|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/iscgem903844/executive|publisher=United States Geological Survey|department=Earthquake Hazards Program|access-date=1 February 2022}}
• March 2007 Sumatra earthquakes: Doublet earthquakes of moment magnitude 6.4 and 6.3 two hours apart northeast of Lake Singkarak.{{cite web|title=M 6.4 – southern Sumatra, Indonesia|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usp000f65w#executive|publisher=United States Geological Survey|department=Earthquake Hazards Program|access-date=7 October 2017}}
• 2022 Sumatra earthquake: A magnitude 6.2 earthquake damaged dozens of homes, offices and a school.{{cite web |title=M 6.2 – 66 km NNW of Bukittinggi, Indonesia |url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000gzyg/executive |publisher=United States Geological Survey |access-date=25 February 2022}}{{cite news |author1=Viola Rahma Hafifah |title=Nagari Kajai Dilaporkan Terparah Akibat Gempa Pasaman, BPBD Minta Bantuan Medis |url=https://padang.harianhaluan.com/reportase/pr-1062747595/nagari-kajai-dilaporkan-terparah-akibat-gempa-pasaman-bpbd-minta-bantuan-medis |access-date=25 February 2022 |work=Padang Harian Haluan |date=25 February 2022 |language=id}} Six killed and 32 injured.{{cite web | title=Gempa di Pasaman dan Pasaman Barat, 6 meninggal termasuk 2 anak-anak, 20 luka-luka – apa yang sejauh ini kita ketahui? | publisher=BBC News Indonesia | date=2022-02-25 | url=https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/indonesia-60519513 | language=id | ref={{sfnref | BBC News Indonesia | 2022}} | access-date=2022-02-25}} Felt in Malaysia and Singapore.
• 1926 Padang Panjang earthquakes: Doublet earthquake measuring 6.7 and 6.4. At least 411 people killed.{{Cite web|title=Jejak Gempa di Aceh dan Sekitarnya|url=https://nasional.tempo.co/read/396382/jejak-gempa-di-aceh-dan-sekitarnya/|url-status=live|access-date=3 December 2021|website=Tempo.co|date=11 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517103431/https://nasional.tempo.co/read/396382/jejak-gempa-di-aceh-dan-sekitarnya |archive-date=2019-05-17 }}
• 1943 Alahan Panjang earthquakes: Doublet earthquakes of moment magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 occurred within 7 hours of each other on June 8 and 9 southeast of Lake Singkarak.
• 1995 Kerinci earthquake: Moment magnitude 6.8 earthquake, killed at least 84 people and caused 1,868 injuries.{{cite web |title=M 6.8 – 5 km ENE of Sungai Penuh, Indonesia |url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usp00074ph/executive |publisher=United States Geological Survey |access-date=11 August 2021}}
• 1994 Liwa earthquake: 7.0 M_w event caused 207 deaths near the southern tip of Sumatra.
• 1933 Sumatra earthquake: M_w 7.6 event (5.226°S 104.596°E) southern of Sumatra.{{cite web|title=M 7.6 – 54 km SW of Kotabumi, Indonesia|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/iscgem905657/executive|publisher=United States Geological Survey|department=Earthquake Hazards Program|access-date=1 February 2022}} More than 76 people killed and extensive damage. Two towns destroyed.

• Ring of Fire

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite journal | last1=Rafie | first1=Muhammad Taufiq | last2=Sahara | first2=David P. | last3=Cummins | first3=Phil R. | last4=Triyoso | first4=Wahyu | last5=Widiyantoro | first5=Sri | title=Stress accumulation and earthquake activity on the Great Sumatran Fault, Indonesia | journal=Natural Hazards | volume=116 | issue=3 | date=2023 | issn=0921-030X | doi=10.1007/s11069-023-05816-2 | pages=3401–3425| s2cid=245719110 }}

• [http://www.tectonics.caltech.edu/sumatra/sumatranfault.html Great Sumatran Fault]

{{SE Asia plates}}

{{Earthquakes in Indonesia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Great Sumatran Fault}}

Category:Seismic faults of Southeast Asia

Category:Strike-slip faults

Category:Seismic faults of Indonesia

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