The Super New Moon phenomenon will occur at the same time as the Chinese New Year, on Sunday (22/1) morning. This phenomenon is said to damage Indonesia’s coastal areas.
This new moon phenomenon has the potential to increase the maximum market height of seawater to cause tidal flooding.
Tidal floods are coastal flooding that generally occurs due to tides or waves that are inundated in areas lower than sea level.
Eko Prasetyo, Head of the Maritime Meteorology Center for the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Tuesday (17/1), explained, “There is a super new moon phenomenon or new moon phase that coincides with a perigee (closest distance of the moon to Earth) on 21 January 2023 has the potential to increase the maximum sea level.”
Based on information on the Instagram account of the Aviation and Space Research Organization of BRIN, the super new moon is a new moon phenomenon that occurs when the distance between the Earth and the Moon reaches its closest point. This time the distance is estimated at 356,569 km.
This phenomenon occurred to coincide with the Chinese New Year on Sunday (22/1) in the morning. To be exact, 03.53 West Indonesia Time, 04.53 Central Indonesia Time, or 05.53 East Indonesia Time.
Eko continued, based on monitoring of water level data and predictions of tides, tidal flooding has the potential to occur in some areas with varying schedules.
“The potential for tidal flooding differs from the time of day and hour in each region, in general, it has an impact on community activities around the port and the coast,” said Eko.
Furthermore, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued a circular letter containing a warning of the potential for coastal flooding or rob in Jayapura due to the super new moon phenomenon or new moon phase on January 21, 2023.
“On January 21, 2023, there is a super new moon phenomenon or a new moon phase which coincides with a perigee (the closest distance from the moon to the earth) so that it has the potential to increase the maximum sea tide height,” said Head of the Maritime Meteorology Station Dok II Jayapura, Heri Purnomo, through a statement written, Wednesday (18/1/2023).
Scientifically, sea tide is a pattern of fluctuations in seawater caused by the attraction of objects in space, mainly caused by the sun and moon on seawater. Therefore, when a supermoon occurs, residents who are often active in the sea are advised to be aware of tidal waves.
He also emphasized that the supermoon was not related to the earthquakes which frequently rocked Jayapura in the last two weeks. Heri appealed to the public not to easily believe issues with uncertain sources and to seek information through the BMKG’s social media accounts.
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