The M 7.1 April 11, 2014 earthquake southwest of Panguna, Papua New Guinea, occurred as the result of thrust faulting on or near the subduction zone interface between the subducting Australia plate and overriding Pacific plate. At the location of the earthquake, the Australia plate moves towards the east northeast at the velocity of 102 mm/yr with respect to the Pacific, and begins its subduction into the mantle beneath Bougainville Island at the New Britain Trench south of the earthquake.
The moment tensor and the depth of the earthquake are consistent with the thrust-type motion on the interface between these two plates. Note that at the location of the earthquake, some researchers divide the edge of the Australia plate into several microplates that take up the overall convergence between Australia and the Pacific. Here the Solomon Sea plate moves slightly faster and more northeasterly with respect to the Pacific plate than does Australia due to the sea-floor spreading in the Woodlark Basin several hundred kilometers to the south of the April 11 earthquake.
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