Big earthquake swarm detected in Antarctica as inactive volcano awakens

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30-04-2022, 22:12

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INA - SOURCES

A huge earthquake swarm was detected in Antarctica, which researchers say was likely the result of a long-dormant volcano awakening.

An earthquake swarm refers to incidents in which many seismic events occur in the same small area over a relatively short period of time without an accompanying main shock.

According to a study published in the Nature journal Communications Earth & Environment, the swarm affected the Bransfield Strait—a body of water around 60 miles wide that is located between the northwestern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands.

The swarm began in August 2020, with 128 quakes exceeding 4.0 on the moment magnitude (Mw) scale—a way to measure the power of earthquakes. Readings are generally similar to those of the Richter scale.

During the early phase of the swarm, 3,186 quakes were recorded—and it peaked with two large events on October 2 and November 6 that measured Mw 5.9 and 6.0 respectively.

After these events, the swarm tapered off and by February 2021, seismic activity in the area was substantially reduced, the authors of the study said.

In total, around 85,000 earthquakes were recorded over the course of the swarm, occurring close to the Orca underwater volcano, which scientists had previously considered to be inactive.