VIVAnews - An earthquake expert from the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) says that Indonesia’s eastern areas have much greater potential of being hit by earthquakes compared to the western area such as Sumatra.
“In Papua and Maluku, the potential of earthquakes and Tsunamis is twice bigger than in Sumatra,” LIPI earthquake expert Dr Danny Hilman Natawidjaya told VIVAnews in Jakarta on Friday, October 2.
According to him, besides Sumatra, there are other regions in Indonesia that are prone to earthquakes and Tsunamis.
He also said despite the bigger earthquake potential, the number of populations and infrastructures in the said regions is still low which decreases the level of risks.
Energy Department’s Geological Body also noted that the earthquakes that have been occurring were due to Indonesia’s geographical condition, locating on the collision of several large tectonic plates that are actively moving.
Indonesia’s current geological map was caused by the interaction of world's three main plates like the Pacific Ocean Plates that are moving to the west-northwest with the speed of about 10 cm per year, the Indian Ocean-Australian Plates (Indo-Australia), which are heading north-northeast with the speed of approximately 7 cm per year, and the Eurasian Plates that are relatively static despite its resultant of kinematics system that shows movements to southwest with the speed of 13 cm per year.
The interaction of the plates has caused various geological events that include magmatic activities and the forming of earthquake zones with high intensity.
In addition, the earthquakes were also triggered by active fractures that stretch across several areas such as Sumatra, Palu, Papua, Cimandiri and West Java.
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Translated by: Nataya Ermanti
