Recognize The Types Of Earthquakes That Happen In Indonesia

Mamuju Regency Basarnas Team evacuated earthquake victims (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Indonesia is an earthquake-prone country. This is because the location of Indonesia, a country consisting of a group of islands, is located between three plates, namely the Pacific Plate, the Eurasian Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate.

An earthquake occurs when a part of the earth's crust shifts, according to the Nasa site. The layer point that undergoes a shift is called the lithosphere. The lithosphere consists of an array of tectonic plates that are constantly moving throughout the year.

Launching from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), almost all islands in Indonesia, both large and small islands, have a large earthquake threat.

The most vulnerable areas in Indonesia include West Java, Yogyakarta, Central Java, East Java, Lampung, Bengkulu, West Sumatra, North Sumatra, Aceh, Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, Maluku, North Maluku, and Papua.

Meanwhile, in Central, West and South Kalimantan, no earthquake source was found. Even if there is an earthquake, it is the effect of the earthquake in Sulawesi.

Throughout 2020, Indonesia was shaken by earthquakes totaling 8,264 times. This information was conveyed by the Coordinator for Earthquake and Tsunami Mitigation, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Dr. Daryono, in the 2020 disaster kaleidoscope, Tuesday, December 9.

Based on the topography and location of the disaster, earthquakes can be identified into several types. Here are three types of earthquakes that are common in Indonesia:

Volcanic Earthquake

Volcanic earthquakes are earthquakes caused by volcanic eruptions. Earthquakes of this type are caused by magma activity in volcanoes. when such as the Sinabung Earthquake, Kelud Earthquake, Tambora Earthquake, and so on.

Tectonic earthquake

Tectonic earthquakes occur due to a shift in the earth's plate due to disengaged energy in the subduction zone. In general, tectonic earthquakes are more powerful than volcanic earthquakes. Such as the Aceh earthquake, Pangandaran earthquake, Padang earthquake, and so on.

Earthquake collapse / wave

Earthquake collapse or earthquake is an earthquake caused by landslides in the ground, cave collapse, and the like. This type of earthquake affects only a small area.

It is known that an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 rocked the Majene region, West Sulawesi. Based on data from the BNPB Operations Control Center, it recorded that around 637 residents were injured and 3,000 others were displaced in Majene Regency, West Sulawesi Province.

Meanwhile, the damage to buildings in this regency includes 62 damaged houses, 1 health center unit severely damaged, 1 Maluda army and military office severely damaged, power outages, unstable cellular communications and 3 landslides along the Majene - Mamuju axis road.