Banten Earthquake Occured Due to Indo-Australian Plate Activity

Banten earthquake map, Tuesday (7/2/2023). (ANTARA/HO-BMKG)

JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said that the earthquake in Banten was due to subduction activity of the Indo-Australian plate.

Head of the BMKG Earthquake and Tsunami Center, Daryono said the epicenter of the earthquake was located at coordinates 7.40 degrees South Latitude, 105.90 degrees East Longitude or to be precise it was located in the sea at a distance of 65 km southwest of Bayah, Banten at a depth of 41 km.

"Taking into account the location of the epicenter and the depth of the hypocenter, the earthquake that occurred was a type of shallow earthquake due to the subduction activity of the Indo-Australian plate subducting under the Eurasian Plate," he said as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, February 7.

The results of the analysis of the source mechanism show that earthquakes have an oblique thrust mechanism.

He stated that the earthquake that occurred on Tuesday (7/2) at 07.35 WIB had an impact and was felt in the Bayah, Banjarsari and Tamanjaya areas with an intensity scale of III-IV MMI (if it was felt by many people in the house during the day).

The earthquake was also felt in the Serang, Pandenglang, Panggarangan, Malingping, Ciptagetar, Cikeusik, Labuan, Tangerang, Panimbang and Cinangka areas with an intensity scale of III MMI (the vibrations felt real inside the house, the vibrations felt as if a truck was passing).

Then in the areas of South Tangerang, Bogor, Sukabumi, Tangerang, Cianjur and West Bandung with an intensity scale of II-III MMI (the vibrations felt real inside the house, the vibrations felt as if a truck was passing). And in the areas of Jakarta, Depok, Cibubur with an intensity scale of II MMI (vibration felt by several people, light objects that were hung swayed).

"The modeling results show that this earthquake has no potential for a tsunami," said Daryono.

As of 08.00 a.m. of Western Indonesian Time (WIB) the BMKG monitoring results had not shown any aftershock activity.