An M7.1 earthquake occurred in Manado. (Image via: Heta News)

M7.1 Earthquake Devastates Eastern Indonesia, Tsunami Alerts Issued

Alfonsus Adi Putra
Sports & Culture
Population
Jul 08, 2019
1897
MALUKU - On Sunday (7/7), an earthquake with 7.1 magnitude and 10 km depths hit 135 km from Southwest Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia. The earthquake was powerful that the Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) had to issue a tsunami warning for 8 cities across northeast coasts of Sulawesi Island.

According to its hypocenter, the earthquake was a shallow one. A shallow earthquake could have had more devastating effects if it happens near the settlement. However, if it happens in the middle of the sea, the quake will trigger a tsunami.

The intensity of the earthquake reached IV-V MMI in Bitung and Manado. In other words, the whole population resided in the area surrounding the epicenter of the earthquake also felt the shock. The shock was strong enough to wake people from their sleep. In Ternate, the intensity was III-IV MMI, and the shock was felt by people in their house. Just seconds after feeling the shock, people in the surrounding areas immediately evacuated themselves to higher grounds.

The earthquake was triggered by the deformation of the Maluku Sea’s plate which has the characteristics of thrust fault mechanism due to pressure from Halmahera’s microplate to the west and pressure from Sangihe’s microplate to the east. The result was the Maluku Sea’s plate was squeezed, forming double subduction underneath Halmahera and Sangihe’s microplates.

Initially, BMKG stated in an official statement and through its Twitter account that the earthquake would not trigger any tsunami. However, the agency reissued the statement with an addendum of tsunami warning on it. Currently, there is no damage report from the earthquake’s aftermath.

Since Indonesia is located in the midst of an earthquake-prone zone called Ring of Fire, earthquake visits Indonesia frequently. However, this was not the first time a powerful earthquake has hit the eastern part of Indonesia. In September 2018, an M7.5 earthquake swept Sulawesi, destroying 70,000 houses and killing 2,000 people in its wake.

Source: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20190708092814-20-410021/belasan-gempa-susulan-kembali-guncang-maluku-utara

Population , Natural-Disaster , Earthquake , Indonesia , Maluku , Tsunami , Geology , Geophysics