The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has reported a 6.7 magnitude earthquake centred on Sumur, Banten.
A number of areas in Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang, and Bekasi felt the shaking on the afternoon of Friday 14th January.
Several residents reported that the earthquake was felt in Jakarta, including at JL HR Rasuna Said, Kemang, Blok M, and Mampang Prapatan. The earthquake was also reported to be felt in Sawangan, Depok; Tangerang, Gunung Putri, Bogor Regency; and Cirendeu.
Head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Dwikorita Karnawati explained that the 6.7 magnitude Banten earthquake on Friday 14th January 2022 occurred due to plate activity in South Java.
“The earthquake that occurred was a shallow earthquake due to subduction activity of the Indo-Australian plate supporting the Eurasian plate. To be precise, down to the island of Java, which continues to Nusa Tenggara,” Karnawati conveyed during a press conference on the BMKG Info YouTube channel on the day of the quake.
Dwikorita emphasised that, based on tsunami modelling, the Banten earthquake did not have the potential to cause a potential tsunami. The location of the earthquake in the Sunda Strait area is one of the locations that has a history of earthquakes and tsunamis dating back hundreds of years.
BMKG noted that there have been eight earthquakes and/or tsunamis that have occurred since 1851.
Areas that felt the Banten earthquake
Dwikorita explained that the Banten earthquake on Friday occurred 52 km southwest of Sumur, Banten at a depth of 40 km. The impact of the shock was felt in a fairly wide area covering Banten, Lampung, DKI Jakarta, and West Java.
Based on the data presented by Dwikorita, the following areas were affected by the earthquake that occurred at 4:05pm:
- Cikeusik and Panimbang shocks were felt with a power of VI on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. At this level, a tremor is felt by the entire population and most of them would be shocked.
- Labuan and Sumur shocks were felt with a power of IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. At that level, when an earthquake occurs during the day, it is felt by many people in a house.
- South Tangerang, Lembang, Bogor City, Pelabuhan Ratu, Kalianda, Bandar Lampung, experienced the earthquake at levels III-IV. The vibration conditions feel the same as the strength at level IV
- At level III, it’ll feel like the vibrations of a truck passing by.
- Jakarta, Tangerang City, Ciracas, Bekasi, Bandung City, Bogor Regency, Kotabumi, experienced the quake at strength II-III. With power at this level, vibrations are also felt as vibrations generated by passing trucks.
So far, a number of houses are reported to be damaged.