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News: A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Northern Molucca Sea, causing damage, one death, tsunami waves, and multiple aftershocks.
About Molucca Sea
- Location: The Molucca Sea is a water body located in the western Pacific Ocean, within the Indonesian archipelago.
- Boundaries: It is bounded by Sulawesi (Celebes) to the west, Halmahera to the east, the Sula Islands to the south, and connects northward to the Philippine Sea.
- Tectonic activity: The sea lies over the Molucca Sea Plate, which is subducted in two opposite directions, called Divergent Double Subduction.
- Divergent Double Subduction: This is a rare geological phenomenon where the Molucca Sea Plate is being subducted in two opposite directions – westwards under the Eurasian (Sangihe) Plate and eastwards under the Philippine Sea (Halmahera) Plate.
- Seismic zone: It is part of a highly active seismic region with frequent earthquakes and crustal movements.
- Basin Structure: The sea floor is divided into three basins, with the deepest being the Batjan basin at 15,780 feet.
- Indonesian Throughflow (ITF): It serves as a vital passage for the Indonesian Throughflow, a current system that transports warm water from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean, playing a crucial role in global climate regulation.
