May 2006 Java earthquake
Encyclopedia
The May 2006 Java earthquake
occurred at 05:54 local time
on 27 May 2006 (22:54 GMT
26 May), in the Indian Ocean
around 25 km (15.5 mi) south-southwest of the Indonesia
n city of Yogyakarta
, near Galur, on the southern side of the island of Java (7.962°S 110.458°E), 10 km below the seabed
, with a magnitude of 6.2, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Two aftershock
s, measured at 4.8 and 4.6, occurred between 4 and 6 hours later.
The quake caused 5,782 death
s, while 36,299 people were injured, 135,000 houses damaged, and an estimated 1.5 million left homeless. 3,580 of those deaths and more than 1,892 injuries occurred in the area of Bantul
, while 1,668 others died in villages in the southern parts of Klaten
district. Around five million people live within 50 km of the epicentre.
Residents as far inland as Yogyakarta and Klaten
fled inland in fear of a repeat of the 2004 tsunami, but such an event did not transpire. The Solo-Yogya highway was jammed with people fleeing in panic. Burglaries occurred during that time, leading to speculation that thieves had spread rumors of a tsunami in areas 100 m above sea level. Fear of loss through theft had also been a significant factor in the reluctance of many people living near Mt. Merapi to be evacuated when the volcano
showed high activity earlier in the year.
Damage was not strictly a function of distance from the epicenter
. Some areas of downtown Yogyakarta were hardly affected, while parts of Prambanan
, which is over 10 km further from the epicenter, were severely hit. In particular, buildings alongside the Solo-Yogya road, including the ancient complex of Hindu
temples, suffered substantial damage. As of November 2009, part of the temple complex was still cordoned off while reconstruction work continued.
The quake destroyed 148 schools and damaged 537.
The earthquake
is thought to have been tectonic
in origin and not directly associated with the ongoing eruption of nearby Mount Merapi
, although the earthquake is reported to have caused increased activity in the volcano
. The isle of Java lies on the boundaries of the Australian plate and the Eurasian plate
. This position places it on the Ring of Fire
and predisposes it to common earthquakes and other tectonic activity. The interaction of the two plates below the surface of the Earth caused this earthquake.
The sea south of Java is historically associated with many earthquakes, as indicated in the Historic Seismicity map of the USGS. During 2006, there were a couple dozen quakes of similar strength off the coast, but most of them were deeper or further from shore, thus less damaging to people and infrastructure.
President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
moved the army to the central Java province to aid rescue efforts and the evacuation of victims. A team of Cabinet Ministers was also sent to oversee the operations.
s' in the area due to the Mount Merapi
eruption to the north of Yogyakarta.
Yogyakarta for many is associated with Borobudur
and Prambanan
, even though both locations are some distance away from the town. As a result, news stories tend to emphasize the condition of those places. Borobudur suffered no damage whereas Prambanan, which is much closer to the epicentre, has according to reports, suffered significant damage.
The reporting of the immensity of the problems that are daily evolving following the earthquake is also competing with the crisis
in East Timor
(Timor Leste) in the media of some countries like Australia and New Zealand.
The government was slow to implement assistance in reconstructing private houses, leading many homeowners to repair or rebuild their homes either by themselves or with community help. Reconstruction in some areas was aided by relief agencies, like the Red Cross Red Crescent.
Villagers rebuilt their homes with extremely limited resources, using simple affordable materials. They turned to traditional materials, such as bamboo, because of the damage inflicted by collapsing brick walls.
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
occurred at 05:54 local time
UTC+7
UTC+07:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +07:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .Also known as Indochina Time , it is used in:-As standard time :*Australia...
on 27 May 2006 (22:54 GMT
Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is arguably the same as Coordinated Universal Time and when this is viewed as a time zone the name Greenwich Mean Time is especially used by bodies connected with the United...
26 May), in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
around 25 km (15.5 mi) south-southwest of the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n city of Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta (city)
Yogyakarta is a city in the Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia. It is renowned as a centre of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry, and puppet shows. Yogyakarta was the Indonesian capital during the Indonesian National Revolution from 1945 to...
, near Galur, on the southern side of the island of Java (7.962°S 110.458°E), 10 km below the seabed
Seabed
The seabed is the bottom of the ocean.- Ocean structure :Most of the oceans have a common structure, created by common physical phenomena, mainly from tectonic movement, and sediment from various sources...
, with a magnitude of 6.2, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Two aftershock
Aftershock
An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the same area of the main shock. If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock...
s, measured at 4.8 and 4.6, occurred between 4 and 6 hours later.
Casualties
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
s, while 36,299 people were injured, 135,000 houses damaged, and an estimated 1.5 million left homeless. 3,580 of those deaths and more than 1,892 injuries occurred in the area of Bantul
Bantul
Bantul is a town and the capital of Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia.-2006 Earthquake:On 27 May 2006 an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale struck near Java's southern coast causing widespread damage. Bantul Regency was the region most affected by the disaster...
, while 1,668 others died in villages in the southern parts of Klaten
Klaten
Klaten is a regency in Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is Klaten.-Geograpy:Klaten borders on Boyolali Regency in the North, Sukoharjo Regency and Wonogiri Regency in the East, and Special Region of Yogyakarta to the South and West...
district. Around five million people live within 50 km of the epicentre.
Residents as far inland as Yogyakarta and Klaten
Klaten
Klaten is a regency in Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is Klaten.-Geograpy:Klaten borders on Boyolali Regency in the North, Sukoharjo Regency and Wonogiri Regency in the East, and Special Region of Yogyakarta to the South and West...
fled inland in fear of a repeat of the 2004 tsunami, but such an event did not transpire. The Solo-Yogya highway was jammed with people fleeing in panic. Burglaries occurred during that time, leading to speculation that thieves had spread rumors of a tsunami in areas 100 m above sea level. Fear of loss through theft had also been a significant factor in the reluctance of many people living near Mt. Merapi to be evacuated when the volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
showed high activity earlier in the year.
Damage was not strictly a function of distance from the epicenter
Epicenter
The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates...
. Some areas of downtown Yogyakarta were hardly affected, while parts of Prambanan
Prambanan
Prambanan is a ninth century Hindu temple compound in Central Java, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimurti, the expression of God as the Creator , the Sustainer and the Destroyer...
, which is over 10 km further from the epicenter, were severely hit. In particular, buildings alongside the Solo-Yogya road, including the ancient complex of Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
temples, suffered substantial damage. As of November 2009, part of the temple complex was still cordoned off while reconstruction work continued.
The quake destroyed 148 schools and damaged 537.
Origin
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
is thought to have been tectonic
Plate tectonics
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere...
in origin and not directly associated with the ongoing eruption of nearby Mount Merapi
Mount Merapi
Mount Merapi, Gunung Merapi , is an active stratovolcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548...
, although the earthquake is reported to have caused increased activity in the volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
. The isle of Java lies on the boundaries of the Australian plate and the Eurasian plate
Eurasian Plate
The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia , with the notable exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent, and the area east of the Chersky Range in East Siberia...
. This position places it on the Ring of Fire
Pacific Ring of Fire
The Pacific Ring of Fire is an area where large numbers of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean. In a horseshoe shape, it is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic belts and/or plate movements...
and predisposes it to common earthquakes and other tectonic activity. The interaction of the two plates below the surface of the Earth caused this earthquake.
The sea south of Java is historically associated with many earthquakes, as indicated in the Historic Seismicity map of the USGS. During 2006, there were a couple dozen quakes of similar strength off the coast, but most of them were deeper or further from shore, thus less damaging to people and infrastructure.
Response
Although Tsunami warnings were issued in the early aftermath of the earthquake, the earthquake did not cause any tsunami activity.Political
President of Indonesia
The President of the Republic of Indonesia is the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Indonesia.The first president was Sukarno and the current president is Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.- Sukarno era :...
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono AC , is an Indonesian politician and retired Army general officer who has been President of Indonesia since 2004....
moved the army to the central Java province to aid rescue efforts and the evacuation of victims. A team of Cabinet Ministers was also sent to oversee the operations.
International aid
Many countries and organizations offered foreign aid to the devastated region, but the actual amounts delivered/received often varied from these figures, as in the case of other disasters.- JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
promised $10 million USDUnited States dollarThe United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
, sent two medical teams and also announced that it will send troops to help out
- The United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
offered four million pounds ($7,436,800 USD)
- Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
promised $5 million USD, plus food, medical equipment and tents, while the United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
and KuwaitKuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
each pledged $4 million USD
- The European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
offered three million euros ($3,800,000 USD)
- The United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
offered $5 million; US military joins relief effort
- AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
offered 7.5 million Australian dollars ($5,675,000 USD) in aid relief, including 27 member medical team among over 80 personnel
- ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
offered $2 million U.S dollars
- CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
offered two million Canadian dollars ($1.8 million USD)
- IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
put forward an aid package worth $2 million.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) donated $1.6 million USD worth of emergency supplies to devastated areas, teaming up with Islamic ReliefIslamic ReliefIslamic Relief Worldwide is a Muslim international relief and development organization consisting of a family of 15 aid agencies that aims to alleviate the suffering of the world’s poorest people...
Worldwide who provided the transportation. In addition, local Indonesian LDS members prepared thousands of meals, hygiene kits, cots, mattresses, and blankets for those requiring medical attention.
- The NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
promised 1 million euros in May plus an extra 10 million euros one month later, BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
has pledged $832,000, while NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
have offered either medical teams or relief supplies
- The Red Cross, Red Crescent, OXFAMOxfamOxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
, Plan International, Jesuit Refugee ServiceJesuit Refugee ServiceThe Jesuit Refugee Service is an international Catholic organization that aids refugees, forcibly displaced peoples, and asylum seekers. JRS operates at national and regional levels. Founded in November, 1980 as a work of the Society of Jesus, JRS was officially registered on March 19, 2000 in...
alongside other NGOs and UN agencies, including WFP and UNICEF, provided plastic sheeting, tools and building materials, and cash assistance to the victims. Japan and Malaysia are to send medical teams to the affected region
- SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
offered humanitarian relief assistance in the form of a 35-member Armed Forces Medical Team, a 43-member Civil Defense Force Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, as well as $50,000 USD worth of emergency supplies
- The United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
sent medicines and communications equipment, enough emergency health kits to last 50,000 people three months, and surgical kits for as many as 600 operations
- VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
offered 1,000 tons of rice to Indonesia.
- The Isle of ManIsle of ManThe Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
offered £30,000 (US$56,291) to Indonesia
- King Abdullah II of JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
ordered to dispatch a plane laden with humanitarian relief to alleviate the suffering of Indonesian earthquake victims that hit Java. The aid included blankets, medicines and other medical equipment.
- MERCY Malaysia (http://www.mercy.org.my/read.php?id=24) sent 6 Missions to Jogja the first being sent on the 28th of May 2006. Datuk Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, President of MERCY Malaysia (Mission Leader) and Saiful Nazri, Programme Officer from MERCY Aceh Office went there on the first mission travelling by a special United Nations Humanitarian Air Services (UNHAS) flight from Banda Aceh along with other international organisations based in Aceh and two (2) tonnes of medical supplies contributed by the international agencies from Aceh. The first team had secured ground logistics for the subsequent teams coming in from Kuala Lumpur.
- Eric EdmeadesEric EdmeadesEric Edmeades is a Canadian businessman and professional speaker. Edmeades is best known for his international motivational speaking and philanthropy. In August 2009, Edmeades acquired and became Chairman of Lucasfilm spin-off, The Kerner Group...
, a Canadian Entrepreneur and CEO of Kerner Optical, was traveling in Bali at the time of the quake. He rented a truck, filled it with food, water and medical supplies and—against government advice—went to Jogja to undertake first hand relief work.
Media
Most international wire services have already had reporters or 'stringerStringer (journalism)
In journalism, a stringer is a type of freelance journalist or photographer who contributes reports or photos to a news organization on an ongoing basis but is paid individually for each piece of published or broadcast work....
s' in the area due to the Mount Merapi
Mount Merapi
Mount Merapi, Gunung Merapi , is an active stratovolcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548...
eruption to the north of Yogyakarta.
Yogyakarta for many is associated with Borobudur
Borobudur
Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues...
and Prambanan
Prambanan
Prambanan is a ninth century Hindu temple compound in Central Java, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimurti, the expression of God as the Creator , the Sustainer and the Destroyer...
, even though both locations are some distance away from the town. As a result, news stories tend to emphasize the condition of those places. Borobudur suffered no damage whereas Prambanan, which is much closer to the epicentre, has according to reports, suffered significant damage.
The reporting of the immensity of the problems that are daily evolving following the earthquake is also competing with the crisis
2006 East Timor crisis
The 2006 East Timorese crisis began as a conflict between elements of the military of East Timor over discrimination within the military, and expanded to a coup attempt and general violence throughout the country, centred in the capital Dili...
in East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
(Timor Leste) in the media of some countries like Australia and New Zealand.
Reconstruction
The earthquake's shallow depth was a major factor, but the scale of the damage was made worse by failure to meet safe building standards and employ basic earthquake-resistant construction methods, according to FuturArc. Most homes in the area were built with low-quality materials without structural frames and reinforcing pillars. Many deaths and injuries occurred when buildings and walls collapsed.The government was slow to implement assistance in reconstructing private houses, leading many homeowners to repair or rebuild their homes either by themselves or with community help. Reconstruction in some areas was aided by relief agencies, like the Red Cross Red Crescent.
Villagers rebuilt their homes with extremely limited resources, using simple affordable materials. They turned to traditional materials, such as bamboo, because of the damage inflicted by collapsing brick walls.
See also
- July 2006 Java earthquakeJuly 2006 Java earthquakeThe July 2006 Java earthquake was a magnitude 7.7 earthquake off the southwestern coast of Java, Indonesia. It occurred on July 17, 2006, at 08:24 UTC ....
- 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake2004 Indian Ocean earthquakeThe 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
- Sidoarjo mud flowSidoarjo mud flowThe Sidoarjo mud flow or Lapindo mud, also informally abbreviated as Lusi, a contraction of Lumpur Sidoarjo , is a mud volcano in the subdistrict of Porong, Sidoarjo in East Java, Indonesia that has been in eruption since May 2006...
External links
- American RedCross site: Earthquake in Indonesia
- 'USGS Earthquake Hazards Data and Maps'
- 'USAID Responds to Earthquake in Yogyakarta and Central Java'
- May 2006 Java Earthquake Wiki - Information from the World Wide Help Group
- 'Yogya Earthquake Updates' - UN's official website on Java earthquake