BMKG Ensures Sunda Strait Tsunami Relates to Mount Anak Krakatau

TEMPO.CO, Bandung - The Head of Earthquake and Tsunami Section at the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Rahmat Triyono, has ensured the cause of the tsunami in Sunda Strait which occurred without a prior earthquake late Saturday, December 22.

“It is triggered by the volcano eruption on December 21 which perhaps create cracks or shocks that lead to a landslide. That triggers the tsunami,” said Rachmat, Monday, December 24.

According to Rachmat, a satellite recorded landslide on the slopes of Mount Anak Krakatau (child of Mount Krakatoa). 

Read: 5 Facts of Sunda Strait Tsunami

The BMKG earthquake sensor in Banten and Lampung recorded a tremor. But, Rachmat added, it could not be considered an earthquake yet avalanche. After it was converted, the shock was equal to 3.4 magnitude earthquake.

Based on data of Central BMKG, the shock epicenter was located in the foot of the mountain slope of Mount Anak Krakatau.

The Volcanology Center and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) Bandung in a conference press released that the relation of tsunami and mountain eruption required further study.

The tsunami that happened on Saturday night, December 22, for example, needs a large collapse that enters the seawater column, but that was not detected by the seismograph at the volcano observation post. Thus, PVMBG still required data to correlate Sunda Strait tsunami and the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau.

ANWAR SISWADI (CONTRIBUTOR)