MANY LANDSLIDES IN MENTAWAI WATERS CAN TRIGGER TSUNAMI

Jakarta, May 29 (ANTARA) - Marine surveys jointly conducted by Indonesia, the US and France from the seismic vessel Geowave Champion have shown that many faults and landslides in the waters around the Mentawai Islands could trigger tsunami.

"This condition can cause a large tsunami if triggered by an earthquake of 6 on the Richter Scale (SR)," Prof. Satish Singh, geological expert from Institut de Physique du Globe (IPG) of France said here on Thursday.

He said the Mentawai Islands proved to be a complete tectonically locked archipelago, especially on the islands of Siberut, Sipora, and Pagai, thus, further surveys are needed.

Earthquake experts from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)'s Geotechnology research center Dr. Danny Hilman
confirmed a prediction that in 30 years to come a large earthquake in the area can reach up to 50 percent.

Hilman found the map of the earthquake potential of the energy accumulation from recording analysis data issued by 27 GPS (global positioning system) stations and the geological data of coral reefs.

In the research area along Siberut to Engano, the survey also found very large ex-erosion soil under the sea related to the earthquakes that occurred earlier.

Traces of the erosion soil were believed to have caused a tsunami in Padang in 1797 which reached a height of 5 meters, he added.

Technology applications by using the seismic reflection method around 1,700 km multi-channel with the penetration depth of up to 50km as the result of cooperation between BPPT (Agency for Assessment and Application of technology), LIPI, ESDM Ministry including the CGGVeritas, is expected to give better understanding about the geological structure in the region.