Safe Places from Earthquakes in Indonesia?

Tectonic Conditions of Nusantara (Archipelago)

To be able to answer this question, we must see the geological condition of Indonesia and surrounding areas. Geographically, the territory of Indonesia is located in the area called as archipelago or ‘nusantara’. A series of regional islands spread from Malaya peninsula to the east to Papua, including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and Timor Leste. The island of Papua (Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea) is geologically is not part of archipelago but a part of the Australian continent instead.

Map of Indonesia (source: www.indonesian-intros.com)

According to the theory of geology, this archipelago chain are formed by raising layers of earth by the collision of continental plates around it, thus forming thousands of unique islands that do not exist in other parts of the world on this earth. At least four tectonic plates affect the formation of islands in the archipelago starting from the Australian Plate in South, the Eurasian Plate in the Northwest, the Northeast Pacific plate and Philippine plate in the North. Australian tectonic plates moving toward the north-east with speeds ± 7cm per year, the Eurasian plate moving with velocity ± 5cm to the southeast, the Pacific Plate is moving towards the Northwest with a speed of ± 10 cm per year, while the Philippine plate is estimated relatively static since sandwiched between two plates: Eurasia and the Pacific from the opposite direction.

With this kind of tectonic conditions, the archipelago is a region including the most dynamic regions in the world, with the terms or conditions of geology, turbulent layer of earth is always marked by the formation of the surface due to the amount of tectonic activity in the form of trenches and volcanoes both on land and  sea. Trench is elongated gap in the earth's surface as a result of separation of two layers of crust are continuously while the volcano is the point where the earth has a liquid solution due to the pressure plates beneath the earth (around it).

On the one hand, this layer of earth, as it will produce a layer of the most fertile soil due to volcanic activity and loose soil from a dynamic layer of soil with abundant ground water resources, on the other side disasters such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are always threatening. That's the positive and negative consequences of this archipelago of the earth, which like it or not should be accepted. God presented a very fertile soil, but also at the same time gives the risk in it. However, humans are blessed with his sense which is expected to be used to solve all their problems.

Similar conditions throughout the region of Sumatra, Java, and NTT due to subduction between Australia and Eurasian plates (source?)

Back to the questions above; and whether there are regions in Indonesia that is safe from the earthquake disaster?

Ring of Fires

If we visit to Google Earth, we will be able to see very clearly the lines of either the mountains or trenches on land or at sea. These lines are formed as a result of separation or meeting of two continental plates. For the territory of Indonesia, this line can be found starting from the north of Sumatra Island, moving south along the southern island of Sumatra, south of Java Island, south of Nusa Tenggara, Timor Gap, to the interior of the Banda Sea. This is the result of the meeting Australian and Eurasian plates, while in the North, we could see the path from the Philippines East down to the Banda Sea and then turned east on the island of Papua. This is the main route meeting the Pacific Plate, Philippine and Australia. The Banda Sea region can be said of the most dynamic places in the world because there are meeting point of three plates in it.

Other  smaller lines can be found around the South China Sea, Celebes Sea, and around the Sea of Guinea. These areas are also characterized as a dynamic region because there are many trenches and volcanoes, but relatively smaller when compared to the main line above. Line that we call Ring of Fires.

Danger region line as Ring of Fires (red and yellow) and a relatively safe area (white). can be seen on the map bellow

Safe area

To be able to determine a relatively safe area would have to be as far as possible from the lines ring of fires. If we draw the line as far as 500km (approximate safe distance from the influence of earthquakes) of the danger lines or ring of fires, we will find such regions in the map. Peninsular Malaysia region, completely safe, northern part of Sumatra consists of the province of Riau, Riau Islands, Bangka Belitung is also safe. Singapore and Batam are safe. Most of the islands to West Kalimantan, including Brunei, are safe as well. Only a small part of Java Island around Mount Muria in Central Java is safe. All small islands in between are also safe in the Java Sea.

Ring of fires and the most safe places in Indonesia (map: GoogleEarth)

In contrast, parts of Indonesia that we know so far as the largest population in Indonesia across from the northern ,western, and south island of Sumatra, most of the areas in island of Java including Jakarta, Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, Ambon are vulnerable to earthquakes. It is therefore not wrong if there was an idea to move the Indonesian capital city to the West, or the South Kalimantan. Because it is very important to have a capital in the middle of the country (safe from military attacks from the outside and geographical convenience), the area is very small possibility of a major quake shakes.

Then if the entire areas is in dangerous, is all population needed to be moved? Of course it is not. The earthquake is a natural phenomenon of nature. The real killing machine is not the earthquake itself, but the building that used by the people. Awareness and vigilance about the dangers of an earthquake by applying the safety systems and safe buildings is the key to avoid danger and harm both for property and human life.