Mysterious Roar in Bandung Suspected to be Linked to Ancient Lake Methane Activity

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Bandung, Indonesia, has indicated that a mysterious roar heard in Bandung and surrounding areas from Friday night (September 4) to early Saturday morning (September 5) is suspected to be related to activity in an ancient lake. Suaidi Ahadi, head of the BMKG Bandung Geophysics Station, stated that the phenomenon, defined as a "skyquake" or "earthquake of the sky," is suspected to originate from methane gas activity in the ancient lake. This suspicion is based on literature linking skyquakes to methane gas activity and the BMKG's monitoring results. "So there is literature that states there might be methane gas activity in the Ancient Lake, but that is still our suspicion," said Suaidi in an online press conference on Saturday (5/9). Ahadi explained that the roar can be defined as a skyquake. However, the phenomenon of skyquakes has not yet been explained academically. Ahadi continued that based on satellite information, magnetic activity, lightning, and clouds, there were no anomalies in the Bandung area and its surroundings at the time the roar occurred. Instead, lightning concentration was very dominant in the Krakatau area. [Gambas:Video CNN] However, Ahadi was reluctant to conclude that the roar in Bandung was related to the eruption activity of Anak Krakatau volcano. This is because, physically, the distance between Bandung and Krakatau is quite far, and no other areas, such as Jakarta and Bogor, reported similar phenomena. Furthermore, the wind blowing at the time of the event also did not allow the sound to travel to Bandung. "At the same time, which we suspect occurred at the same time, there was volcanic activity in Krakatau. The problem is that the roar was only heard in the Bandung Raya area and its surroundings," said Suadi. "It was not heard in Jakarta, not heard in Bogor Regency, in Bogor City itself, and Banten and its surroundings," he said. "If there had been a volcanic eruption that could be heard in Bandung, for example, carried by the wind, the wind would have been from east to west. This is interesting, isn't it? This means we shouldn't be able to hear it in Bandung and its surroundings either, because the wind is from the east towards the west," he added. Suaidi then invited BRIN and the geological agency to conduct further studies on this skyquake phenomenon. He also urged the public not to panic because there were no anomalies in the Bandung area. Source: CNN Indonesia