The territory of Indonesia is characterized by very frequent manifestations of the activity of the earth's crust and tsunami. What is the reason for the recurrence of earthquakes and tsunamis? How often do they occur? Can they be prevented and predicted?
The reason for the frequent earthquakes in Indonesia
Indonesia is located at the junction of three lithospheric plates - the Pacific, Eurasian and Indian. The Pacific plate is the most active of all, it moves all the time and seeks to dive under the Eurasian plate. The zone of immersion of one plate under the second on the Earth's surface forms a seismic belt that stretches from Alaska to New Zealand, and which includes the territory of Indonesia.
The intensity and frequency of earthquakes in the country are also associated with the Sumatrinsky Fault, which lies parallel to the coast of Indonesia. This is a seismically active zone in which tremors are constantly recorded. Seismologists record about 5 thousand earthquakes annually, their magnitude is higher than 4.0 points. In Indonesia, due to the presence of a fault, the epicenters of earthquakes are located in close proximity to the coast, which provokes the occurrence of tsunamis, which lead to deaths and destruction.
Earthquake Repeatability in the Region
Since the beginning of the XIX century, more than 100 earthquakes have been recorded in Indonesia, but the first written data were about tremors that occurred on February 1, 1938 off the coast of Indonesia, their strength was 8.5 points. The tsunami hit the islands of Kai and Banda.
From 1955 to 1995, 11 earthquakes in the region were known:
- November 26, 1959 - magnitude 6.5 points;
- October 10, 1974 - 6.6;
- October 1, 1975 - 2 earthquakes of 6.8 and 7.1 points;
- November 18, 1977 - 6.6;
- June 24, 1978 - 6.5;
- January 11, 1979 - 6.6;
- October 8, 1980 - 6.5;
- December 27, 1985 - 6.6;
- January 21, 1994 - 6.6;
- November 5, 1995 - 7.2.
The most devastating earthquakes in the region
One of the most terrible and catastrophic earthquakes in the region in 2004, its strength reached 9.2 points. In time, it lasted about two days and was accompanied by powerful tsunamis. In 14 countries, 235 thousand people died from this natural disaster. About ten thousand people were injured, Indonesia suffered the most.
In 2005, seismic activity was observed off the coast of Sumatra, killing more than 900 people.
In May 2008, there was a strong earthquake off the coast of Java, about 6 thousand were killed, 124 thousand were injured, 650 thousand were left without housing.
At the end of September 2009, a series of powerful earthquakes (magnitude over 7 points) in the west of Sumatra Island followed, more than a thousand people were killed, about 265 thousand buildings and structures were damaged.
December 23, 2009 recorded 2 earthquakes - 6.2 and 5.4 points, there were no casualties.
In October 2010, an earthquake in Indonesia with a magnitude of 7.3 was recorded. The earthquake caused a tsunami. The waves reached a height of 15 meters, as a result of the disaster, about 6 villages were destroyed, more than 500 people died.
On October 25, 2010, seismic activity was recorded off the coast of Indonesia with a capacity of 7.6 points, after some time repeated shocks followed, the strength of which was from 5.1 to 6.3 points.
On September 6, 2011, a strong earthquake of magnitude 6.4 was recorded in southwestern Indonesia. Several people died.
April 2012 - an earthquake in Indonesia off the northwest coast of the island of Sumatra, power 8.6 points. After several hours, repeated shocks occurred, with an amplitude of 8.2 points. After a while, a second push followed, the amplitude of which was 11 points. This is one of the most powerful in-plate earthquakes in amplitude, but despite considerable strength, only 5 people became victims of the earthquake.
Beginning of December 2016 - the crust activated on the island of Sumatra, tremors were magnitude more than 6.4 points. Killed 97 people.
In 2017, from January to August, 6 earthquakes occurred, the amplitude of which was more than 5 points.
On August 13, 2017, tremors occurred in Indonesia, with a capacity of 6.2 points.
