Megathrust Earthquake Threat; BMKG, Yogya Airport Hold Quake, Tsunami Simulation

TEMPO.CO, Yogyakarta - The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in tandem with Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) conducted yet another simulation of earthquake and tsunami. The first simulation was held in 2020.

“The simulation aims at training a quick response to tsunami early warnings based on the worst scenario of an 8.8-magnitude megathrust earthquake in southern Java so as to develop YIA as a critical airport that is resilient to earthquakes and tsunamis,” said BMKG official Suci Dewi Anugrah in a statement, Wednesday, March 30.

During the simulation, YIA Airport tested the quick response of the Airport Operation Control Center, the evacuation process of passengers and airport service users, as well as set up aircraft in the event of an earthquake that potentially trigger a tsunami.

BMKG's Coordinator for Earthquake and Tsunami Mitigation Daryono explained that the potential for a megathrust earthquake in the Indian Ocean south of Central Java and Yogyakarta could trigger a tsunami that would strike YIA Airport.

“The megathrust zone in the south of Java is a real threat. It is based on several facts. Firstly, the existence of a potential earthquake source, the Indo-Australian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. Secondly, rising seismic activity to date. And thirdly, historical records of large earthquakes that triggered tsunamis in the past,” he outlined.

Daryono added that concrete mitigation efforts in the airport to create safety and achieve zero victims among airport users on tsunami-prone beaches are not impossible. “We can learn from the destructive tsunami of Tohoku Japan which was triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake on March 11, 2011,” he said.

Read: Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake Damages 42 Houses in West Seram, Maluku

ERWIN PRIMA