Including Rare Phenomena, Here Are 5 Facts Behind the Earthquake Centered near Jepara

Kapanlagi.com - Earthquakes are one of the natural disaster phenomena that frequently occur in Indonesia. The latest one, today on Tuesday (07/07), precisely at 05.54, there was an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter scale. Based on information from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the earthquake was centered in the Java Sea, or more precisely 53 km northwest of Jepara city. Furthermore, BMKG stated that the earthquake's epicenter occurred at a depth of 578 km and did not have the potential for a tsunami.

Before today's earthquake, Java Island had experienced several earthquakes. One of them, two days ago on Sunday (05/05), there was a 5.3 magnitude earthquake centered off the coast of Blitar, which shook quite strongly. Now, less than a week later, there has been another earthquake. Interestingly, this earthquake can be considered a rare event. Because, so far, earthquakes that often occur on the island of Java are mostly centered off the southern coast.

So, what interesting facts are behind today's earthquake phenomenon earlier? Here are some reviews, summarized from merdeka.com.

1. Felt as Far as Yogyakarta

The earthquake tremors today centered off the coast of Jepara were quite strong. In fact, the 6.1 Richter scale earthquake could be felt as far as Bantul, Yogyakarta Special Region. However, this area is located around the south coast and quite far from Jepara and the epicenter of the earthquake.

2. Including a Quite Rare Phenomenon

(credit: bmkg.go.id)

As mentioned earlier, most tectonic earthquakes that shake the land of Java usually occur off the south coast. This then makes the earthquake centered near the city of Jepara quite rare. However, the waters of the Java Sea have been considered a safe area from earthquakes.

3. Not the First Time

Although rare, it turns out that earthquakes centered in the northwest off the coast of Jepara are not the only tectonic earthquakes that occur in the Java Sea. History records several earthquakes that have occurred in that area. These earthquakes occur at different scales. However, the depth of the earthquakes is relatively deep, even up to hundreds of kilometers.

Some earthquakes that have occurred in the Java Sea include a 5.3 Richter scale earthquake that occurred on June 23, 2019, with the epicenter north of Indramayu at a depth of 625 km. In addition, earthquakes with the epicenter in the Java Sea also occurred in Tuban on June 11, 2020. At that time, the earthquake was recorded to have a magnitude of 4.2 at a depth of 625 km.

4. Causes of Earthquakes

(credit: flickr.com)

Similar to tectonic earthquakes in general, this morning's earthquake was also caused by plate shifting activity. We have long known Indonesia as one of the areas prone to earthquakes. This is because Indonesia is located in the convergence zone of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates.

However, what we have known so far is that plate shifting activity mostly occurs in the southern region. That is why earthquakes centered in the south occur more frequently than those in the northern region of Java Island. However, it turns out that the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plate activities on the southern coast of Java Island also have an impact on the Java Sea region. One example of this influence is evident in the earthquake that occurred this morning.

5. The Development of Earthquake Prone Areas

Do you feel that lately Indonesia, especially Java Island, has been frequently hit by earthquakes? This may be due to the increasing activity of tectonic plates in several earthquake-prone areas. According to merdeka.com, earthquake activity in Indonesia has indeed increased since 2010. It is even mentioned that the number of earthquake-prone areas in Indonesia continues to increase, reaching 27 areas.

It is possible that the earthquake center off the coast of Jepara is one of them.

Those are some interesting facts behind the earthquake that occurred this morning. Natural disasters, including earthquakes, can indeed occur anytime and anywhere. Therefore, it is advisable to always be cautious.

(kpl/psp)