Be Careful, South of Java Potential for 9.0 Magnitude Earthquake

VIVA – Indonesia is estimated to be within the Megathrust earthquake region of the Ring of Fire, which is a chain of volcanoes and seismically active sites that extends into the Pacific Ocean for 40,000 kilometers. Megathrusts are the most powerful interpolated earthquakes on Earth. It is because the magnitude can exceed 9.0 magnitude, which is predicted to be in south of Java. 

The Acting Head of BPNB’s Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, estimates that megathrust earthquakes can happen for once every 400 years. The earthquake’s strength is 8.8 magnitude. This estimate is following his calculations carried out with several researchers using the Global Positioning System (GPS).

"Our earth is moving and its movement can be calculated from GPS. We then estimate the maximum strength of the earthquake that it can withstand," Muhari said in the Disaster Briefing program that was retrieved virtually.

However, a researcher at the BMKG's Deputy for Geophysics, Muhammad Sadly, said that information about megathrust earthquakes is only potential, not predictions. Because no one knows when a megathrust earthquake can occur.

Some areas that have the potential to occur megathrust earthquakes in the country are Sunda subduction consisting of Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok, and Sumba, Banda subduction, Maluku Sea Plate subduction, Sulawesi subduction, Philippine Sea Plate subduction, and North Papua subduction.

On the other side, after the earthquake that hit Garut some time ago, the Head of the Bandung Class 1 Geophysical Station, Teguh Rahayu said that the 6.4 magnitude earthquake had no tsunami potential. He revealed that the earthquake in Garut Regency also occurred on land. However, he suspects that earthquake is a series of megathrust earthquakes stored in the southern region of West Java.

"The earthquake was on land. This is because of the didactic activity. In our opinion, this is still included in the megathrust series," Teguh Rahayu remarked.

It is not yet known when the megathrust earthquake will occur in Indonesia. However according to estimates, the potential earthquake could reach a magnitude of more than 8.9 with a tsunami height of up to 34 meters.