Jayapura, Jubi – Coordinator of the Observation Division of the Jayapura Region V Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Center (BBMKG) Danang Pamuji said that until Tuesday afternoon, January 3, 2023, there were 156 aftershocks that shook Jayapura City and its surrounding areas due to the activity of the Cycloop fault plate which was still moving.
The Cycloop fault plate is still looking for a stable position after the 4.9 magnitude earthquake that shook Jayapura on Monday morning.
According to Danang, the 4.9 magnitude earthquake on January 2 was caused by the Cycloop fault plate shifting and losing its stable position.
“If you look at the distribution of the earthquake, it was caused by the [Cycloop] plate shift. From the monitoring results, the potential for aftershocks continues,” Danang told Jubi on Tuesday afternoon.
Danang stated that 156 aftershocks that occurred from Monday to Tuesday at 1 p.m. Papua time had the lowest magnitude of 2.6, and the largest magnitude of 4.4. A total of 15 earthquakes were felt in Jayapura City, namely ten aftershocks on Monday, and five aftershocks on Tuesday.
Danang said the aftershocks would only stop when the Cycloop plate that extends from Jayapura Regency to Jayapura City had found its stable position. “If there are still aftershocks, it means the position between the plates is not yet stable. The plates are still looking for a stable position so there are still aftershocks,” he said.
Danang said the earthquake that shook the Jayapura City area had no tsunami potential. He also stated that from the results of monitoring, the sea water level is still normal. “There is no sea water rise,” he said. (*)
