September 9, 1932 Earthquake: Ambon Island, Ceram Island, Indonesia

Reference #414:

1932, September 9, after 22:00 local time. There was an earthquake with a force of 6 degrees (VII - Rossi Forel) on Ambon Island and the south of Ceram Island. The radius of the zone of perceptibility was 100 km. Many aftershocks were registered. The shocks registered by the seismograph at Ambon during September to December had the following S-P distribution:

S-P, sec.123456no. of shocks1124945142

The main shock was strongest on the east of Ambon Island. At Tuleu, many homes and the school were destroyed and a mosque was partly destroyed. At Wai, it was necessary to rebuild 73 homes after the earthquake. Between these settlements, new thermal springs appeared and two pits were formed in the ground. At Tengatenga, on the eastern coast of

the Hitu Peninsula, much material damage was done, but there were no victims. Many cracks appeared in the ground and landslides occurred in the vicinity. The population, fearing a tsunami, spent the night in the neighboring hills. Fortunately, no wave appeared. Reports of a tsunami were received from the south coast of Ceram Island, from Piru and Loki. The assumed position of the epicenter of the earthquake agrees, according to Visser, with the macroseismic data, the S-P difference at Ambon for the aftershocks and the observations of East Asian stations (Visser, 1933).

Visser (1933): 9.IX; 13h38m52s;

3.57o S., 128.35o E.; 17 km.

Gutenberg, Richter (1954): 13h39m04s;

3.6o S., 128.5o E.; 17 km; M=6.25.

Reference #1188:

1932, September 9. 3.5 S, 128.3 E, intensity VII. Seram: Molluce - the origin seemed to be in Tolehu Bay. A

few old buildings collapsed at Wae and Tolehu. Ground-slumps

and ground-slides were also reported.