TEMPO.CO, Bandung - The head of the Sukabumi Geophysical Station at the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Agung Sabtaji, reported a recent increase in tectonic earthquake activity across West Java.
On average, the province experiences around 510 earthquakes annually.
"The numbers have been rising each year," Agung said during an online discussion held to mark Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Day on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
He explained that earthquake monitoring in West Java has improved significantly since 2012, when the number of seismographs was still limited. Currently, 36 seismic instruments are installed across the province, with 21 of them added in 2019.
In 2024, the West Java provincial government installed three more seismographs in Tambun (Bekasi Regency), Tanjungsari (Bogor Regency), and Selaawi (Garut Regency).
"With denser coverage from these instruments, earthquake detection and tsunami warnings are now faster, reduced from five minutes to just three after an event," Agung added.
BMKG data show 554 earthquakes were recorded in 2019, followed by 229 in 2020, 556 in 2021, 1,198 in 2022, 1,054 in 2023, and 1,187 in 2024. As of July 2025, the agency has recorded 566 quakes in West Java.
Between 2012 and June 2025, most of the earthquakes were low in magnitude. Quakes ranging between magnitude 2 and 3 occurred an average of 279 times a year, while those between magnitude 3 and 4 occurred about 147.6 times annually.
Agung noted that shallow crustal earthquakes, with depths ranging from 0 to 20 kilometers, were commonly linked to faults in several areas, including Halimun Salak, Bayah, Citarik, Cimandiri, Cipamingkis, Cugenang, Purwakarta, Cirata, Garsela, Rancabali, Cibeber, and Ciremai.
In the first half of 2025 alone, residents of West Java reported feeling at least 45 quakes. Some were notably damaging, such as the 4.1 magnitude quake caused by the Citarik Fault on April 4, which shook Bogor and damaged homes in Cilendek Timur, Cilendek Barat, Pasir Jaya, Menteng, and Curug Mekar.
Other recent events include a 2.7 magnitude quake in Leuwiliang, Bogor, on May 18; a similar-strength quake in the Lembang area on June 29; and a 2.6 magnitude tremor in Cikarang on July 14.
According to Teguh Rahayu, head of BMKG’s Geophysical Station in Bandung, many fault lines in West Java remain unmapped.
"When an earthquake occurs, we often cannot immediately determine which fault triggered it," he said.
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