Bandung, IndonesiaSentinel.com — Jakarta could be impacted by a tsunami resulting from a massive megathrust earthquake in the Sunda Strait or off the coast of West Java. But how severe could the tsunami be for the capital city?
Mohamad Yohan, Head of Data and Information at the Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), stated that a large offshore earthquake triggered by the megathrust could generate a tsunami.
“Even though Jakarta doesn’t directly face the Indian Ocean, a significant tsunami wave could potentially reach the northern coast of Jakarta if a large wave is generated from the southern direction,” Yohan explained in a statement on Thursday, September 19.
Jakarta lies between two megathrust segments, both capable of producing earthquakes up to a magnitude of 8.7. These segments include the West Java Megathrust and the Sunda Strait Megathrust.
From Pagers to Walkie-Talkies, a Series of Communication Device Explosions in Lebanon Claim
The West Java Megathrust stretches 320 kilometers long and 200 kilometers wide. It has released significant energy twice before, first in 1903 with a magnitude of 8.1, and again in 2006 with a magnitude of 7.8.
The Sunda Strait Megathrust, which is 280 kilometers long and 200 kilometers wide with a slip rate of 4 centimeters per year, has garnered attention in recent years. This segment is part of a seismic gap, an area with high earthquake potential that hasn’t experienced a major quake in decades or even centuries.
This seismic gap is believed to be accumulating stress along the Earth’s crust. According to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the last major earthquake in the Sunda Strait occurred in 1757, leaving a 267-year seismic gap.
Yohan emphasized that the tsunami risk from a megathrust earthquake would be more pronounced in areas surrounding Jakarta, particularly in Banten, which is located closer to the Sunda Strait segment.
“Coastal cities near Jakarta, like Banten and Anyer, are at higher risk of being directly affected by a tsunami,” Yohan noted.
According to data from BMKG, shared by BPBD Jakarta, the tsunami risk level for Jakarta remains relatively low.
“Based on Indonesia’s Tsunami Hazard Map, Jakarta has a low likelihood of experiencing a significant tsunami, with wave heights on the city’s coast expected to be less than 1 meter,” BMKG stated.
(Raidi/Agung)
