The 8.2 Mw Biak earthquake shakes the Papua province of eastern Indonesia with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). A large tsunami followed, leaving one-hundred sixty-six people dead or missing and 423 injured.
The 1996 Biak earthquake, or the 1996 Irian Jaya earthquake, occurred on February 17 at 14:59:30 local time near Biak Island, Indonesia. The earthquake had a moment magnitude of 8.2 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The run-up height of the generated tsunami reached 7 meters (23 ft). One-hundred and sixty-six people were reported dead, 423 were injured, and 5,090 were made homeless.
This earthquake was a thrust in a very oblique subduction zone. It ruptured at least 270 km (170 mi) along the New Guinea oceanic trench. The slip distribution is very nonuniform. The largest slip was ~12 m near the hypocentral depth, and the mean slip over a 230 km by 100 km fault area was 4 m.