Subduction Zone Earthquake Hits Three Provinces in Sumatra
1 August 2017 13:42 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Bandung - A magnitude 5.1 tectonic earthquake hits three provinces in Sumatra: Bengkulu, Jambi and South Sumatra, BMKG reports.
“It was felt in an extended area because the hypocenter of the earthquake was deep,” the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) spokesman Daryono said today, August 1.
The quake occurred at 9 pm on Monday. The epicenter is at 2.65 degrees south latitude and 102.31 degrees west longitude. “To be precise, 53 kilometers northeast of Muara Anam City,” Daryono said. The earthquake was 154 kilometers deep.
An analysis of earthquake mechanism shows that the quake was triggered by an oblique-thrust fault. “The hypocenter of the earthquake was pretty deep meaning that it does not pose any danger,” Daryono said.
BMKG noted that the subduction zone in Bengkulu has been very active of late. The province was hit by three earthquakes including in Enggano at magnitude 5.3 on July 26 and in Pesisir Bengkulu at magnitude 5.4 two days later.
ANWAR SISWADI
