5 August 2018 Lombok earthquake facts for kids
A collapsed mosque in North Lombok
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| UTC time | 2018-08-05 11:46:37 |
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| ISC event | 612456510 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 5 August 2018 |
| Local time | 19:46:35 (WITA) |
| Magnitude | 6.9 Mw |
| Depth | 31.0 km (19.3 mi) |
| Epicenter | 8°17′13″S 116°27′07″E / 8.287°S 116.452°E |
| Fault | Flores Back Arc Thrust Fault |
| Type | Thrust |
| Areas affected | Bali and West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia |
| Max. intensity | VIII (Severe) |
| Tsunami | 10.0 cm (3.9 in) |
| Landslides | Yes |
| Foreshocks | 10.6Mw 28 July 2018 22:47:37 (UTC) 29 July 2018 06:47:37 (WITA) |
| Aftershocks | 6.3 Mw 19 August 2018 04:10:22 (UTC) 663 total aftershocks |
| Casualties | 563 dead, +1,000 injured (includes casualties from all of the earthquakes that affected Lombok in August) |
On August 5, 2018, a powerful earthquake hit the island of Lombok in Indonesia. It measured 6.9 on the Moment magnitude scale. This scale helps scientists measure the energy released by an earthquake. Some also reported it as 7.0 on the Richter scale, another way to measure earthquake strength.
This earthquake was the main event after a smaller one, called a foreshock, happened on July 29. That foreshock measured 6.4. The center of the August 5 earthquake, called the epicentre, was on land near Loloan Village. This village is in the North Lombok Regency. The earthquake caused small tsunamis along the coast. Sadly, many people were affected. Over 560 people lost their lives, and more than 1,000 were hurt. Also, over 165,000 people had to leave their homes.
Contents
Understanding the Earthquake
What Caused the Shaking?
Earthquakes happen when parts of the Earth's crust, called tectonic plates, move. The Lombok earthquake was caused by the Flores Back Arc Thrust Fault. This type of fault means one part of the Earth's crust was pushed up and over another. The earthquake's depth was about 31 kilometers (19 miles) below the surface.
How Strong Was It?
The earthquake's strength was rated as VIII (Severe) on the Mercalli intensity scale. This scale describes how much people feel the earthquake and how much damage it causes. A "Severe" rating means there was a lot of damage to buildings.
Aftershocks and Tsunamis
After the main earthquake, there were many smaller quakes called aftershocks. One strong aftershock measured 6.3 on August 19. In total, there were 663 aftershocks. The earthquake also caused a small tsunami, which is a giant ocean wave. This wave was about 10 centimeters (4 inches) high.
Impact and Recovery Efforts
Affected Areas
The earthquake mainly affected the island of Lombok. However, its shaking was also felt on the nearby island of Bali. Both islands are popular tourist destinations in Indonesia. The earthquake caused landslides, which are when large amounts of earth or rock slide down a slope.
Images for kids
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Tectonic setting of the region.
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Shakemap for the August 2018 Lombok earthquake.
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Focal mechanism of the earthquake by the USGS.
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Ground shift due to the earthquake.
See also
In Spanish: Terremoto de Lombok de agosto de 2018 para niños
