Kalimantan Rarely Jolted by Earthquake; BMKG Explains Why

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Earthquakes rarely occur on Kalimantan Island. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) confirmed that Borneo is the only island in Indonesia with the lowest level of seismic activity.

Unlike the other large islands in the archipelago, the agency explained that Kalimantan is not close to plate collisions that generate quakes. Sumatra and Java, meanwhile, are where two giant patches of land meet.

A quake’s epicenter can come from the sea and land due to plate shifts that occur approximately 7-10 centimeters per year. Plate movements in the sea can trigger shaking and shifts of land. So because there are no plate collisions in the sea, there are only a few quakes that are likely to hit the mainland of Borneo.

In addition, Kalimantan Island does not have an active volcano. Other islands such as Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Papua have greater potential to experience tectonic and volcanic earthquakes because of a number of volcanos in the regions. Some of them have even experienced devastating quakes and tsunamis.

Kalimantan has indeed three active faults but with a low potential to cause shaking. Although Kalimantan is considered safe from quakes and tsunamis, the island based on records has experienced several earthquakes with low potential for damage and tsunamis.

Back in 2015, North Kalimantan was rocked by an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale. Several years ago, a moderate quake was also recorded in Singkawang, Pontianak of West Kalimantan. Thus, BMKG appealed to the people to stay vigilant. 

RINDI ARISKA

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