What is it about?
Using primarily historical evidence, the author has identified a probable major tsunami on the south coast of central Java in 1618, the likely inspiration for the myth of Nyai Loro Kidul, 'the Queen of the South Seas'. He also proposes a more explicit description about a great flood,a probable tsunami, that killed many in Banda Aceh (Sumatra) in 1660.
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Why is it important?
Java's tectonic subduction zone was once thought to be aseismic, because of the paucity of data on the south coast, little-populated until the 20th century. The Tohuku earthquake and tsunami, hitting an area geologically similar to Java, raised doubts about this theory, as did two significant tsunamis in 1994 and 2006. This paper draws attention to the urgent need for study and preparedness on Java's south coast.
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This page is a summary of: Two hitherto unknown Indonesian tsunamis of the seventeenth century: Probabilities and context, Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, December 2015, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s002246341500048x.
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