The Earthquake Disaster Difficult to Predict
- Freepik
VIVA – The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) revealed that there have been 384 earthquake aftershocks in Cianjur, West Java as of Sunday, December 4, 2022, since the main earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 richer scales on November 21, 2022.
Indonesia is an earthquake-prone country because it is located above tectonic plates and has many faults that can shift, break, and cause devastating damage at any time.
As quoted from Scientific American, Monday, December 5, 2022, Earthquake is among the things that cannot be predicted. The US Geological Survey (USGS) wrote a warning regarding earthquake forecasts.
"Neither the USGS nor other scientists have ever predicted a major Earthquake. We don't know how, and we don't expect there will be predictions in the future," USGS wrote.
The earthquake originated several kilometers below the Earth's surface so there are likely other indicators that could be a sign, although scientists cannot easily detect them from above the Earth's surface.
Another difficulty in predicting Earthquakes is distinguishing between minor and major earthquakes. Until now, there has been no simple way to decipher whether an early warning sign is a sign of a major destructive earthquake or just a minor earthquake.
Because of the disaster that hits Cianjur and the surrounding area, Panasonic Gobel Group sent 5,285 logistical aids for the victims in the form of logistics, such as flashlights and batteries, as well as clothing and food needs, which have been distributed to five refugee camps located in Cugeunang District, Cianjur Regency, West Java.
"In an emergency like today, we realize that all residents need various primary needs as well as clothing and food, especially those whose homes have been damaged and occupy evacuation sites," President of the Panasonic Gobel Group Federation of Trade Unions, Djoko Wahyudi remarked in his official statement.