Earthquake
– Photo: Amar Ujala Graphics
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Strong earthquake tremors were felt on Saturday 143 kilometers south-east of Indonesia’s capital Jakarta. The intensity of the earthquake was measured at 6.2 on the Richter scale. National Seismology Center confirmed this.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 6.1 earthquake was felt in Jakarta and nearby Badung at 9:59 pm. “I screamed for my wife and children to get out of the house,” Badung resident Iman Krishnawan told AFP. Usually the earthquake lasts for about five seconds, but this time it lasted for 10-15 seconds.
The island nation of Indonesia is called the ‘Ring of Fire’. Being one of the most sensitive parts of the earth, earthquakes keep happening here continuously. It is present at a place where many tectonic plates of the earth collide.
In January 2021, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck the Sulawesi island group. Which took the lives of more than 100 people and left thousands homeless. Similarly, in 2018, there was a 7.5 magnitude earthquake in Palu, Sulawesi, followed by a tsunami, in which more than 2,200 people lost their lives. Earlier in 2004, an earthquake of 9.1 magnitude occurred in Aceh province of Indonesia and more than 1,70,000 people were killed.
Earthquake shocks in many areas of Japan
Earlier on Saturday afternoon, earthquake tremors were felt in many areas of Japan. USGS said that the intensity of the earthquake that occurred in the Bonin Islands of the country was measured at 6.5 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the earthquake was at a depth of 503.2 kilometers. The epicenter of the quake was found off the west coast of the islands, about 875 km south of Tokyo, Xinhua news agency reported. Light tremors were also felt in central Tokyo. According to reports, no tsunami warning has been issued at present.
Why do earthquakes occur?
There are 7 plates inside the Earth, which keep rotating continuously. The zone where these plates collide is called fault line. The corners of the plates bend due to repeated collisions. When too much pressure builds up, the plates start breaking. The energy below finds a way out and after the disturbance an earthquake occurs.
Know what is the meaning of the center and intensity of earthquake?
The epicenter of an earthquake is the place just below which geological energy is released due to movement in the plates. Earthquake vibrations are more severe at this place. As the frequency of vibration increases, its effect decreases. However, if there is an earthquake with a magnitude of 7 or more on the Richter scale, the tremors are felt within a radius of 40 km. But it also depends on whether the seismic frequency is upward or downward. If the frequency of vibration is higher then less area will be affected.
What is the measuring scale?
Earthquakes are measured using the Richter scale. It is called Richter Magnitude Test Scale. Earthquakes are measured on the Richter scale from 1 to 9. An earthquake is measured from its center i.e. epicenter. The intensity of the energy released from within the earth during an earthquake is measured by it. This intensity determines the magnitude of the earthquake.