3‐D visualization of Tonga Earthquake

Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO; La Jolla, Calif.) have created interactive three-dimensional (3-D) visualizations of the 3 May magnitude 8.0 earthquake that occurred near Neiafu,Tonga. The earthquake occurred at 1526 UTC at a depth of 16 kilometers (as recorded by the USArray seismic network operated at SIO, http://anf.ucsd.edu). A tsunami warning was initially issued, but it was subsequently canceled, and to date, no fatalities have been reported. These 3-D visualizations are available for free download at the Scripps Visualization Center Web site (http://www.siovizcenter.ucsd.edu).The first visualization shows the hypocenter of the 3 May Tonga main shock and locations of historical earthquakes. Global topography and bathymetry data are also included for reference. The second visualization shows a more localized view of the Tonga region, along with vertical cross sections of the velocity structure in the region. An obvious correlation can be seen between changes in the velocity structure and the historical earthquake locations, which map out the geometry of the Tonga subduction zone.