The April 16th 2016 Pedernales Earthquake and Instituto Geofisico efforts for improving seismic monitoring in Ecuador
Abstract
On April 16th, 2016, Ecuador's coastal provinces were struck by a devastating earthquake with 7.8 Mw magnitude. This event caused the earthquake-related largest dead toll in Ecuador (663 fatalities) since 1987 inland event. It provoked also a widespread destruction of houses, hotels, hospitals, affecting economic activities. Damaged was very worthy in the city of Pedernales, one of the nearest localities to the epicenter. Rupture area extended about a 100 km from the southern limit marked by the aftershock area of the 1998, 7.1 Mw earthquake to its northern limit controlled by the Punta Galera-Mompiche seismic zone, which is one of the several elongated swarms oriented perpendicular to the trench that occurred since 2007. Historical accounts of the Ecuador Colombia subduction zone have few mentions of felt earthquakes in the XVIII and XIX century likely related to poor communication and urban settlements in this area. A cycle of noticeable earthquakes began in 1896, including the 1906 8.8 Mw event and three earthquakes with magnitudes larger than 7.7 in the period 1942-1979, that preceded the 2016 earthquake. The Instituto Geofiísico of the Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IGEPN) has been monitoring the coastal area through the National Seismic Network (RENSIG) since 30 years back and recently enhanced through SENASCYT and SENPLADES supported projects. International collaboration from Japanese JICA and French IRD also contributed to expand the network and implement research projects in the area. Nowadays, the RENSIG has 135 seismic stations including 105 broadband and 5 strong motion velocimeters. Processing performed by Seiscomp3 software allows an automatic distribution of seismic parameters. A joint cooperation between IGEPN, the Navy Oceanographic Institute and the National Department for Risk Management is in charge of tsunami monitoring.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFM.T51E2981R
- Keywords:
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- 8104 Continental margins: convergent;
- TECTONOPHYSICSDE: 8118 Dynamics and mechanics of faulting;
- TECTONOPHYSICSDE: 8123 Dynamics: seismotectonics;
- TECTONOPHYSICSDE: 8170 Subduction zone processes;
- TECTONOPHYSICS