What is a Megathrust Earthquake? Listen to the explanation and impact!

JAKARTA – Megathrust Earthquake Now it is becoming a term for a natural phenomenon that has emerged after a video recording showing the Head of BMKG, Dwikorita Karnawati giving an explanation about the impact of this type of earthquake went viral on social media.

Dwikorita Karnawati then gave an explanation about the video, where at that time she was giving an explanation about the reasons for the need to build a Tsunami Early Warning Operational Building.

But apart from that, many people are still curious about what is called a megathrust earthquake and how big the impact will be if this natural phenomenon occurs.

Understanding Megathrust Earthquakes

A megathrust earthquake is a type of earthquake that occurs in a subduction zone, namely at the location where two tectonic plates meet where one plate slides under the other plate.

This earthquake was caused by a massive shift in the megathrust zone, where the pressure accumulated due to shifting plates causes strong earthquakes and often triggers tsunamis.

The megathrust zone itself is a term for the source of plate collision earthquakes at shallow depths. The process of megathrust earthquakes begins when the oceanic plate subducts beneath the continental plate, causing the formation of a subduction zone.

The accumulated pressure between the two plates can cause friction that suddenly releases energy in the form of powerful earthquakes.

Impact of the Megathrust Earthquake

Typically, megathrust earthquakes have high magnitudes and can cause major damage, especially if they occur near sea level because they can trigger destructive tsunamis.

According to the temblor page, subduction zones cause the largest earthquakes on the planet, which are called ‘megathrusts’ when the earthquake reaches magnitude 9. These shocks release energy a thousand times greater than an earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale.

The largest instrumentally recorded megathrust was the Valdivia, Chile, event measuring 9.5 on the Richter scale in 1960.

Apart from that, there was also the famous megathrust earthquake that occurred in Tohoku, Japan in 2011. This earthquake had a magnitude of 9.0 and triggered a large tsunami that caused severe damage along the east coast of Japan and caused the nuclear disaster in Fukushima.

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