Abstract
The Solomon Islands is one of the most seismically active areas in the
southern Pacific with high earthquake hazard potential. The regional
seismic network, equipped with six broadband seismic stations, was
constructed as late as October 2018. On January 27 and 29, 2020, two
moderate earthquakes, Mw 6.3 and 6.0, respectively, occurred in the
southeastern Solomon Islands. The entire foreshock-main-shock-aftershock
sequence was recorded by this seismic network for exploring the
seismogenic structures. Based on the spacial distribution of the
foreshock-aftershock sequence, the interaction of the subduction and
transform zones between the Pacific and the Australia plates could lead
to the near-vertical dip-slip tear slab. Confirmed with PREM and the new
1D velocity model for testing the robustness of the earthquake
locations, a seismic gap at depths from 25 to 35 km is observed as the
“jelly sandwich” rheology of the continental crust of the Australia
plate.