The February 27, 2015 M 7.0 earthquake north of Nebe, Indonesia occurred as the result of oblique strike-slip faulting within the subducted Australia plate, 550 km beneath the Flores Sea. Focal mechanisms for the earthquake indicate rupture occurred on either a left-lateral structure with a moderately dipping, northeast striking plane, or on a right lateral fault dipping steeply towards the southwest.
The earthquake is located at the eastern end of the Australia slab that was originally subducted at the Sunda-Java trench, several hundred kilometers to the south of the event (and at the surface of the Earth). At the location of the earthquake, the Australia plate moves approximately northwards with respect to the Sunda plate at the rate of 74 mm/yr. The February 27, 2015 earthquake occurred in response to stresses generated by the slow distortion of the Australia plate at depth, rather than on the shallower interface with the overriding Sunda plate.
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