Earthquake of magnitude 6.3 jolts Indonesia
Jakarta [Indonesia], August 12 — A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s West Papua region on Tuesday, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS).
The tremor occurred at 13:54 IST at a depth of 39 km, with coordinates 2.09°S, 138.81°E.Just days earlier, on August 7, a magnitude 4.9 earthquake hit Northern Sumatra at a depth of 106 km.
Indonesia, situated at the convergence of multiple tectonic plates — including the Australian, Sunda, Pacific, and Philippine Sea plates — is among the world’s most seismically active zones.
The subduction of the Indian Plate beneath the Sunda Plate has created a chain of active volcanoes across Sumatra, Java, Bali, and the Lesser Sunda Islands, making the region prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The country’s complex tectonic setting continues to fuel seismic activity, particularly along Southeastern Sumatra and West Java, with Sumatra witnessing heightened activity in recent years.
