Powerful Earthquake Shakes Papua New Guinea
Posted on 02. Dec, 2010 by thanate in Earthquakes
A powerful earthquake struck waters off Papua New Guinea on Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. It shook the coastal towns of Kandrian and Kimbe on the island province of New Britain, according to Papua New Guinea’s Geophysical Observatory, which noted that both are 40 miles or less from the epicenter.
Photo: Ian @ ThePaperboy.com
The country is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, at the point of collision of several tectonic plates. There are a number of active volcanoes, and eruptions are frequent. Earthquakes are relatively common, sometimes accompanied by tsunamis. An arc of earthquake and volcanic zones that stretches around the Pacific Rim and where about 90 percent of the world’s quakes occur. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat of a destructive tsunami from the 1:12 p.m. quake given its magnitude.
Papua New Guinea geography is diverse and, in places, extremely rugged. A spine of mountains, the New Guinea Highlands, runs the length of the island of New Guinea, forming a populous highlands region mostly covered with tropical rainforest. Dense rainforests can be found in the lowland and coastal areas as well as very large wetland areas surrounding the Sepik and Fly rivers. This terrain has made it difficult for the country to develop transportation infrastructure.
In some areas, airplanes are the only mode of transport. The highest peak is Mount Wilhelm at 14,793 ft. Papua New Guinea is also surrounded by coral reefs which are under close watch to preserve them. Papua New Guinea is home to an impressive variety of exotic birds, including virtually all of the known species of birds of paradise, and it is blessed with more kinds of orchids than any other country.
Sources: news.yahoo.com, wikipedia.org
No related posts.
