Contrary to what you may have heard, the tidal wave experienced in Java and Bali did not cause a 6.2 magnitude earthquake, says an official from the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT).
Earthquakes can cause tidal waves, but not the other way around—it’s tectonic plate activity that causes quakes. The 6.2 earthquake on June 9 occurred at sea, 286 kilometers northwest of West Sumbawa and could be felt in Denpasar, Kuta, and Mataram, according to the national weather agency, BMKG.
But one article on pemburuombak.com linked the earthquake with the tidal wave, insisting Bali should be ready for increased tidal activity until September—all because of the alignment of the sun, moon, and earth.
“The article is a hoax. Tidal waves at sea have no direct connection with the earthquake,” Widjo Kongko from BPPT said on Saturday, as quoted by the Jakarta Globe.
Tidal waves in Bali were actually caused by increasing sea levels from the combination of a cyclone, swell, and high tides on June 8 and 9, according to Kongko.
