The Cause Of The Sumedang Earthquake, Here's The BMKG Explanation

Residents affected by the Sumedang Earthquake took refuge in a number of places. (Between)

YOGYAKARTA - The Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) opened its voice regarding the earthquake that took place in Sumedang, West Java with a magnitude of 4.8. The earthquake is thought to have no potential to cause the formation of a collateral hazard in the form of soil cracks, land subsidence, soil movement and liquefaction. So what causes the shock earthquake?

The Geological Agency reports that Sumedang Regency is categorized as earthquake-prone, so earthquake mitigation efforts must be increased.

The Cause Of The Sumedang Earthquake

Sourced from data from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the position of the epicenter of the earthquake was located on land at coordinates 107.94 East Longitude and 6.85 South Latitude, about 1.5 kilometers east of Sumedang City, West Java Province, with a magnitude of 4.8 at a depth of 5 kilometers.

Acting Head of the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Muhammad Wafid said the position of the epicenter of the earthquake was located on land in Sumedang Regency, West Java Province with a morphology of the area near the epicenter of the earthquake, namely the plains to the bumpy plains, local valleys, flooded hills to steep hills.

Sourced from information from the Geological Agency (BG) of Sumedang area, it is generally composed by medium soil (class D) and hard soil (class C). This area is generally composed by rock-shaped quarter deposits from volcanic shocks and lake deposits.

"Some of the rocks have experienced weathering. The end of the quarter is generally soft, loose, not compact (unconsolidated) and strengthens the impact of shocks, so that it is prone to earthquakes," explained Wafid.

Furthermore, Wafid explained that the morphology of the bumpy hills that is arranged by volcanic rock that has experienced weathering has the potential for soil movement that can be triggered by strong earthquake shocks and high rainfall.

Regarding the cause of the Wafid earthquake, said, based on the position of the epicenter of the earthquake and the depth of BMKG information, this earthquake was estimated to be due to active fault activity, namely the Cileunyi-Tanjungsari Fault.

According to information from the Geological Agency, the Cileunyi-Tanjungsari Fault is a horizontal market, the distribution starts from the south of Tanjungsari Village to the northeast to the Cipeles River valley, and the value of the sliding rate ranges from 0.19- 0.48 millimeters/year.

This earthquake has caused a disaster in the form of damage to people's houses in Babakan Hurip Village, Kotakaler Village, Rancapurut Village, Rancamulya Village, North Sumedang District and South Sumedang District.

Wafid believes that this earthquake incident did not cause a tsunami because the epicenter of the earthquake was located on land. The Geological Agency noted that the Sumedang Regency area had experienced a destructive earthquake in 1972, on the other hand, the 2010 earthquake caused anxiety for residents in the Tanjungsari area, Sumedang Regency. In 2022, an earthquake with a magnitude (M2.7) was recorded at a depth of 16 kilometers.

Next, Wafid asked residents to remain calm, follow directions and information from local BPBD officers, remain alert to aftershocks, and do not be provoked by irresponsible issues regarding earthquakes.

"For residents whose houses have been damaged, they should evacuate to a safe place in accordance with the directions of the local BPBD officers. Because the Sumedang Regency area is categorized as earthquake-prone, earthquake mitigation efforts must be increased and if they want to build in Sumedang Regency, they must use earthquake-resistant building construction to avoid the risk of damage due to earthquake shocks," said Wafid.

In addition, the 'Houses Damaged In Sumedang Due To The Earthquake'.

So after knowing the cause of the postponed earthquake, see other interesting news on VOI.ID, it's time to revolutionize news!