September 16, 1926 Earthquake: Solomon Islands

Reference #414:

1926, September 17 (mistakenly 18), about 4:20 + min [local time]. At Ovi (Guadalcanal Island), after a roar which seemed like peals of distant thunder, which came from the west and intensified as it approached, oscillations and spinning of the earth's surface began and continued for several seconds. Then they abated, but did not stop, and then the main tremor began, which was predominantly vertical and lasted a minute. Homes collapsed, dishes and other objects were broken, and reservoirs with water collapsed to the ground. At Tudol, 110 km to the east, great damage was done to buildings and stores of goods at warehouses. The earthquake was felt at Makambo, on San Jorge Island, at Tuilagi and Vidun.

The tremors lasted all day and then continued for a week, with lesser intensity and at increasing intervals, although the force of shocks suddenly increased from time to time. Separate shocks continued for a year.

The phenomena, which preceded the earthquake, included in particular unusually low ebbs, which may however have been connected with the equinox and phases of the moon. The sea water was inky black, and all the denizens of the sea floated belly up in various stages of paralysis and even death, so that the stink at ebb tide was disgusting.

At the end of the earthquake, the lagoon at Ovi, 200-400 m (10-20 chains) wide and 1-3 1/2 m (from 3 feet to 2 fathoms) deep, and closed in by a broad flat coral reef which was exposed during ebb tides, but which rose 1-2 m (4-6 feet) above flood tides in two places right at the lagoon, dried up completely. Then a flood tide began as a series of waves (about seven) with "white horses," which chased each other and flooded the beach, sweeping away everything in their path.

Gutenberg, Richter (1954): 16.IX; 17h59m128; 11.5 S.,

160 E.; 50 km; M= 7.1. [The instrumental and macroseismic data on the earthquake are not in satisfactory agreement.]

Reference #2666:

1926, September 16, 17:59:12 UTC. 11.5 S, 160 E, depth 50 km, magnitude 7.1.

Reference #88:

1926, September 16, 17:59:12 UTC. 11.5 S, 160 E, depth 50 km, magnitude 7.1.

Reference #130:

1926, September 16, 17:59:12 UTC. 11.5 S, 160 E, magnitude 7.1.

Reference #9910:

1926, September 16, 17:59:15.01 UTC. 9.674 S, 159.519 E, depth 35 km, 6.9 Ms ABE1, 7.3 mB ABE1, 7.1 UK G&R, 7.1 UK B&D, 7.1 UK PAS.