TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-
The Sumatran fault once again showed signs of activity which caused a 4.9 magnitude earthquake on Monday, May 29, at 04:54 West Indonesia Time. The quake was felt up to the vicinity of Gayo Lues district in Aceh.
The fault segment has a history of creating earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 6.0 Richter scale to 7.7 Richter scale.
Daryono, head of earthquake information and Early Warning at the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), said that the quake on Monday caused minor damages to buildings in the affected area.
“By Monday noon, it was reported that 30 houses in the Gayo Lues district area endured minor damages, such as cracked walls,” Daryono said on Monday, May 29, 2017.
Most houses in the area are old traditional buildings prone to earthquakes.
“Although it was a small-scale quake, its shallow hypocenter created a strong quake,” he added.
Based on its location, depth, and source mechanism, it was concluded that the quake originated from the Sumatran larger fault area, specifically the Tripa segment.
In central Aceh, the length of the fault segment stretches 180 kilometers northwest-southeast. The fault moves 6 millimeters each year.
ANWAR SISWADI