Earthquake watchers remain on high alert during Idul Fitri

Jakarta, NU Online
Despite the holiday mood still hanging in the air, everyone at the earthquake and tsunami control room of the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) is intent on his or her computer monitor.

"We can't leave this control room empty even for a second ... (because) there could be big consequences for the whole nation -- an earthquake could happen at any time," Sugeng Pribadi, an on-duty control room officer told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.<>

Just as Sugeng spoke, Seis Com P3, a German earthquake warning system, alerted the officers to an earthquake somewhere below Ujung Kulon National Park in Banten province.

Running to his monitor, Sugeng -- also on duty Saturday, the first day of Idul Fitri -- and five other officers began to quickly analyze the incoming seismographic information.

They examined the quake's pattern to determine the possibility of another quake in the immediate future and how it might affect the surface, including people living in the area.

"In this room, every day is a high alert day. If there is an earthquake, we must drop everything at once," Sugeng said.

Everyone was relieved to find the quake registered a mere 2.5 on the Richter scale. A quake of such magnitude is not expected to cause any serious damage. There were no aftershocks.

During large quakes, Sugeng said, as many as 20 officers would be in the control room at once, covering a range of tasks, including fielding incoming calls from the public.

The 10-by-15-meter room has nine large LCD monitors on the wall. There are also dozens of personal computers loaded with seismographic and other software.

Each monitor has a map of Indonesia with dozens of red indicators corresponding to BMG stations located throughout the country.

Every time an indicator blinks it means there is an earthquake.

Two TV sets near the monitors are used to check the messages relayed to the media about large-scale quakes.

Information about the Bengkulu earthquake on Sept. 12 was simultaneously relayed to several private TV stations.

Another officer, Lukman Hakim, said that once officers thought they were able to interpret initial warning information, they had to immediately provide notification to all affected by it.

He gave a partial list of those with an "important interest" in receiving "immediate information": the central government, local administrations, the media, the Indonesian Red Cross and meteorological agencies abroad.

"And the most important thing is that we must send the information as fast as possible. In this situation, every second is very valuable."

There are five groups of 30 staff that monitor the control room on a daily basis. The earthquake experts are divided into two 12-hour shifts. They are working every two days and having their off in the next two days.

The officers deal not only with actually occurring earthquakes, but also study historical earthquake patterns to help minimize damage caused by future quakes. (dar)