Consecutive Earthquake; BMKG: Sunda Strait`s Sea Level is Normal
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12 January 2019 20:55 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency (BMKG) reassures that there is no increase in the sea level around the Sunda Strait region, West Java following the consecutive earthquake that hit the area in the past two days.
“The consecutive earthquake recorded in Sunda Strait on January 10 and 11, resulting in a significant rise in sea level as an indication of a tsunami in the area,” said Deputy of Geophysics Sector BMKG, Muhamad Sadly in a written statement, on Saturday, January 12.
Saldy said that his office is still monitoring the development of the earthquake as well as the sea level in Sunda Strait. He reasoned that there is still potential for a tsunami to occur like what happened in the last December. “At least there are three sources of tsunami in Sunda Strait,” he said.
The sources are the Mount Anak Krakatau complex (GAK Complex), Graben Zone, and Megathrust Zone. These three points could trigger a tsunami when faults happened.
Saldy explained, GAK complex, consisting of Mount Anak Krakatau, Sertung Island, Rakata Island, and Panjang Island, still prone to faults movement. It because they were formed by stones that cracked systemically due to volcano-tectonic activity. “Those complex susceptible to rock slope collapse into the ocean that could trigger a tsunami,” he explained.
Another source, the Graben Zone, is also a rock area that is prone to landslides, while Megathrust Zone is also an area that hold a potential to awake an upward fault which triggers a tsunami.
Head of BMKG Dwikorita Karnawati called on the public to stay away from coastline as long as the tsunami potential exists. The people are asked to be in the zone with a radius 500 meters from shoreline which height elevation less than 5 meters.
Dwikorita also asks the people to always check the official information related to earthquake and tsunami in BMKG's official accounts to prevent the misleading information about the condition of Sunda Strait.
Syafiul Hadi
