TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian public is currently dreading the possibility of megathrust earthquakes in the Mentawai-Siberut and Sunda Strait segments. It’s aggravated by the egregious illustrations painted on social media.

“(The megathrust earthquake warning) is not a prediction, but a potential. Predictions include time and place,” Gayatri Indah Marliyani, a Faculty of Geology Lecturer at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) said on Friday, August 23, 2024.

Gayatri said the risk of a megathrust earthquake and tsunami is always present, but there’s no need to worry excessively. "We cannot avoid disasters, so prepare ourselves for the possibility, don’t just react when it happens,” Gayatri explained.

Gayatri said megathrust earthquakes usually occur around the edge of the subduction zone between two tectonic plates. The immovable plates accumulate massive energy over time and are released as huge earthquakes that could result in tsunamis.

The largest megathrust earthquake in history occurred in the subduction zone of Valdivia, South Chile, at 9.5 magnitudes. In Indonesia, the active subduction zones cover the southern area of Java Island, extending from the west of Sumatra to the Sunda Strait, the eastern area of Java Island, and the south of Lombok Island.

"The megathrust potential in these regions is huge due to its historical value, namely the 2004 Aceh earthquake and the 2006 Pangandaran earthquake," said Gayatri.

A researcher at the UGM Natural Disaster Study Center (PSBA), Galih Aries Swastanto, said the government must pay close attention to megathrust mitigation. The government must disseminate disaster and disaster mitigation knowledge as it’s part of the state’s responsibility.

"Disaster services are basic services that must be prioritized alongside other sectors whether or not the budget is available," said Aries.

MUH. SYAIFULLAH

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