A strong earthquake struck the wider Java region of Indonesia in the early hours of Saturday, north of the capital Jakarta, with international and local seismological agencies reporting differing estimates of its magnitude.
Germany's Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) initially calculated the quake's magnitude at 6.5, placing its focus at a depth of around 398 kilometers.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) gave a lower figure in an update issued shortly after the quake, putting the magnitude at 6.2. The centre located the epicenter about 125 kilometers north of Jakarta and recorded the quake at 04:23:56 local time.
Different measurement from Indonesia
Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) gave a lower reading still, calculating the magnitude at 5.9. According to the agency's data, the tremor struck at 04:23:56 Saturday local time, with the focal depth put at 376 kilometers. It placed the epicenter about 6 kilometers southeast of the Seribu Islands, in the Jakarta area.
BMKG said the earthquake carried no risk of triggering a tsunami.
Discrepancies between the initial calculations of different seismological centres are not unusual immediately after a strong quake, since early data is reviewed and can be revised as more readings come in.
Felt over a wide area
Despite the quake's considerable depth, reports from residents on social media indicated that it was felt in several areas. Users said they felt the shaking in Bandung, in central Java, and even in parts of Sumatra. These accounts are testimony from members of the public rather than an official assessment by authorities.
No information on casualties or serious material damage had emerged so far.
Indonesia and the Ring of Fire
Indonesia experiences extremely intense seismic activity, sitting as it does on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where tectonic plates meet and a large share of the world's strong earthquakes and volcanic activity occur.
