Dr. Bachtiar Mutaqin, a lecturer from the UGM Faculty of Geography, received the international Bourse Mobilité Sud-Nord grant from the French research institution Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) and was invited as a visiting researcher at the Magmas and Volcanoes Laboratory (LMV), Université Clermont-Auvergne (UCA).
Since March 2024, Dr. Mutaqin has been in France researching ancient tsunamis caused by volcanic activity, not only in Indonesia but worldwide. Dr. Mutaqin explained that volcanic activity has caused at least 139 tsunamis globally since 2100 BC, with 25 of these tsunamis occurring in Indonesia. Therefore, researching ancient tsunamis triggered by volcanic activity is crucial.
At LMV, Dr. Mutaqin conducts sediment analysis and X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) on tsunami deposit samples collected from the field. He also delivered a public lecture on ancient tsunamis in Indonesia to researchers and students at LMV-UCA.
Additionally, Dr. Mutaqin is working to initiate research and educational collaboration between the Faculty of Geography at UGM and the Faculty of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Université Clermont-Auvergne.
“I am trying to pave the way for fellow students who wish to continue their studies in France, particularly in Clermont-Ferrand, focusing on coastal geomorphology and volcanology. I see an opportunity, and I think this is a great chance,” said Dr. Mutaqin.
Dr. Mutaqin routinely visits two other research laboratories in France: the Laboratory of Environments, Dynamics, and Mountain Territories at Université Savoie Mont Blanc to perform X-ray fluorescence (XRF) core scanner analysis on marine process deposit samples suspected to be ancient tsunami deposits and the Laboratory of Physical Geography at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne to follow up and strengthen the research and educational collaboration that has been ongoing for the past 20 years.
Author: Junizar Nino