2018 Sulawesi Earthquake

 2018 Sulawesi Earthquake 

On September 28, 2018 there was a 7.5 magnitude earthquake in Sulawesi, Indonesia. The earthquake resulted in a tsunami wave that was 1.5 meters, which caused a lot of damage. Authorities in Indonesia estimated that about 2.4 million people were affected by these natural hazards. The earthquake and tsunami resulted in about 2,000 deaths, at least 4,600 injuries, and around 210,000 people displaced from their homes.    

The earthquake hit four different regions in Central Sulawesi, which include the city of Palu, Donggala, Sigi, and Parigi Moutong.  Along with the number of deaths that’s in the thousands, there were around 1,309 people missing (NOAA). The earthquake occurred from a strike-slip faulting at shallow depths. This occurred in the interior of the Molucca Sea microplate, which is part of the broader Sunda tectonic plate. Eastern Indonesia has many complex tectonics and a few small microplates, which accommodate a large-scale convergence between Australia, Sudan, and the Philippine Sea plates. The Sunda plate moves with the Molucca Sea Plate at about 30 mm per year. Two towns were submerged as a result of the earthquake because of liquefaction. The towns that were submerged were called Balaroa and Petobo. 

All of the damage from the earthquake and tsunami was around 911 million dollars. The earthquake occurred during high tide, and about 80% of the casualties were due to landslides that were caused by the earthquake. Most of the damage from the tsunami was the most severe in the inner part of Palu Bay. The western side had more damage from the earthquake. NOAA says that the tsunami and landslide-generated tsunamis both caused a lot of damage. The mainshock of the earthquake triggered about three tsunamis along Palu Bay within six minutes, and the intense shaking led to landslides and liquefaction. Health services were damaged and people were at risk of getting sick from lack of clean water, sanitation, and food. When the tsunami hit Palu Bay, it leveled houses, washed away various objects, and destroyed most of the coastal area. All of the damage made it challenging to recover. With the health services like hospitals being damaged as well, the process of cleaning up the area and helping those who were injured was a long process. The damage was categorized into three different types. These include damage due to the earthquake, liquefaction, and the tsunami (Widiyanto et. al, 2019). 

 

(Center for Disaster Philanthropy, 2024) 

Destruction of town Donggala, closest to the epicenter of the earthquake. 

(Spitz, 2018) 

Magnitude of earthquake in towns of Indonesia and the magnitude of aftershocks. 

(Australian Government: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) 

Damage of a town in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. 

(United Nations, 2018)

Residents carrying “rubble of home” in West Palu, Indonesia after the earthquake. 

Indonesia earthquake 2018: The country struggles with aftermath of Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami

This video shows destruction from the earthquake and shows the struggles people experienced afterwards to get basic goods. The warning system for the tsunami following the earthquake failed and left many people unprepared.    

References 

Briggs, E. (2019, June 6). Sulawesi earthquake in the layered Earth. Spitz, Inc. - A Cosm Company. https://www.spitzinc.com/blog/sulawesi-earthquake-in-the-layered-earth/

Center, N. G. D. (2020, March 23). Sulawesi, Indonesia, earthquake and tsunami, September 28, 2018. Sulawesi, Indonesia, Earthquake and Tsunami, September 28, 2018 | NCEI. https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazard/28sep2018.html

Indonesia earthquake 2018: The country struggles with the aftermath of the Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsB8jm-gRgY

Results in resilience: Indonesia - Central Sulawesi earthquake and Tsunami. GFDRR. (n.d.). https://www.gfdrr.org/en/feature-story/results-resilience-indonesia-central-sulawesi-earthquake-and-tsunami

Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami response. Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (n.d.). https://www.dfat.gov.au/crisis-hub/sulawesi-earthquake-and-tsunami-response

Sulawesi earthquake and Tsunami (Indonesia). Center for Disaster Philanthropy. (2022, April 22). https://disasterphilanthropy.org/disasters/palu-tsunami-indonesia/

Sulawesi, Indonesia, Earthquake and Tsunami, September 28, 2018. NCEI Global Historical Hazard Database. (n.d.). https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/hazards/earthquake/event-more-info/10369

Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami response. Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (n.d.-a). https://www.dfat.gov.au/crisis-hub/sulawesi-earthquake-and-tsunami-response#:~:text=The%20earthquake%20caused%20widespread%20damage,clean%20water%2C%20food%20and%20sanitation.

Sulawesi earthquake and Tsunami (Indonesia). Center for Disaster Philanthropy. (2022a, April 22). https://disasterphilanthropy.org/disasters/palu-tsunami-indonesia/

United Nations. (n.d.). Massive earthquake in Indonesia leaves hundreds dead: Un chief “deeply saddened” | UN news. United Nations. https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/09/1021582

Widiyanto, W., Santoso, P. B., Hsiao, S.-C., & Imananta, R. T. (2019, December 10). Post-event field survey of 28 September 2018 Sulawesi earthquake and Tsunami. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences. https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/19/2781/2019/