Bali’s Mt Agung Volcano Continues Heating Up

Mass Evacuation: 140,000 people flee Bali town of Amed turning it into a ghost town

Mt Agung Volcano continues to exhale a large column of steam, smoke and ash, while ominously eying the town of Amed.

The normally bustling tourist town, located about 4km outside Mt Agung volcano’s exclusion zone, has been experiencing  more than 1,000 tremors per day, prompting residents and tourists to abandon the town.

More than 100,000 others are expected to abandon nearby villages as fears of an “imminent eruption” mount.

Authorities has set up about 500 temporary shelters outside the exclusion zone around the volcano, said the National Disaster Management Agency.

However, the shelters may prove unsafe, if a large, explosive eruption occurs.

Vanuatu Volcano: State of Emergency Declared

Meanwhile, most of 11,000 residents in Vanuatu’s Ambae island have abandoned the volcanic island under evacuation orders, as the Manaro Voui volcano continues emitting ash, smoke and volcanic gases, stoking fears of an imminent eruption.

Vanuatu: State of emergency on Ambae island; Monaro #Volcano on Alert Level 4. Paama & Abrym Islands also on alert. https://t.co/UzZFJPAltO

— Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) September 28, 2017

Frequency of Mt Bromo Tremors Remains High: PVMBG

Bromo volcano spews smoke, ash and strong sulfurous gasses

Seismic activity of Mount Bromo in East Java is still high and the alert status remains at Level III, said head of the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG).

“Volcanic activity of the 2,329 meter high mountain is still high and tremors are fluctuating with an increasing tendency,” he said.

“Visually the mountain could be seen clearly with clouds. The weather is fine with temperature at between 15 and 22 degrees Celsius and a soft breeze blowing.”

The volcano was spewing a column of smoke and ash to a height of up to  400 meters on Saturday.

PVMBG had issued an exclusion order for the area within 2.5 kilometer radius from the crater, earlier, urging  both the villagers and tourists to refrain from any activity within the banned area.

In addition to the hazards caused by sudden small explosions, strong sulfurous gasses were being emitted from the crater that could cause severe respiratory problems, warned PVMBG.

Bromo Volcano, marked as Tengger Caldera, is seen to the left of Tambora on the map. Tengger Caldera houses five volcanoes: Mt Bromo (2,329m), Mt Batok (2,470m), Mt Kursi (2,580m), Mt Watangan (2,660m) and Mt Widodaren (2,650m).

The Tengger massif in east Java, Indonesia, featuring Mt. Bromo (large smoking crater, ) and Mt. Semeru (background, smoking). The early morning fog surrounds the peaks surrounded by the “Sea of Sand.” Wikipedia CC license.

Malang airport, located about 70km from Mt Bromo was closed on Friday due to the eruption, said the Transportation Ministry.

Mt. Raung Eruptions Force Flight Cancellations

Volcanic ash from Mt. Raung forces flight cancellation to and from Bali

Eruptions at Mt. Raung have prompted the authorities to raise the volcanic alert from Level 2 to Level 3. The volcano has been ejecting volcanic matter into the air since Sunday, said the Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center (PVMBG).

Increased activity was detected at the volcano on June 24, 2015. The volcano began to eject volcanic matter on June 29, creating an ash cloud that led to warnings being issued to residents within a 3-km radius of the caldera, and flight disruptions in and out of Bali.

“The Jember Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) in East Java said on Monday that the 3,333-meter Mount Raung had discharged molten lava on Sunday evening, confirming the authorities’ recent decision to increase the volcano’s alert status, said a report.

More than 2,000 residents in “two districts in Bondowoso lie within Mt. Raung’s potentially Disaster Prone Area (KRB),” and may have to be evacuated in the event of a major eruption.

Mt. Raung
The 3,333-meter volcano, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, is a massive stratovolcano located in the province of East Java, and has a 2-km-wide and 500-metre-deep caldera.

Ruang is about 140km northwest of Bali’s Denpasar airport.

Volcanology of Java

Made up almost entirely of volcanic eruptions, the island of Java contains dozens of volcanoes including at least 45 that are considered to be “active” volcanoes.

Sinabung Eruption Leaves 14 Dead, Thousands Evacuated

Sumatra volcano in deadly eruption

Mt Sinabung Erupted three times on Saturday leaving at least 14 people dead, including a group of school children from Medan on a science trip, and three others critically injured. Authorities were again forced to evacuate tens of thousands of people from 16 villages from the 5km – 7km exclusion zone near the volcano.

“This is the first direct impact of the Mt. Sinabung eruptions. Before the Saturday incident, the ongoing eruptions have already claimed the lives of 31 evacuees, as a result of various illnesses such as breathing difficulties, depression, asthma and hypertension.” Jakarta Post reported.

Some 14,000 of more than 30,000 evacuees had just been allowed to return home on Friday, following earlier eruptions.

Villagers flee as Mt Sinabung spews plumes of hot ash and smoke engulfing at least 16 villages. Photo credit: ANTARA /Irwansyah Putra. Image may be subject to copyright. More images…

The volcano became restive in 2010, after more than 400 years of dormancy, and has been erupting sporadically since.

Approximate location of Sinabung is marked  on the map by FEWW. Mount Sinabung is one of Indonesia’s 130  active volcanoes

Sinabung Volcano: Summary of Details

Country: Indonesia
Region: Sumatra
Volcano Type: Stratovolcano
Volcano Status: Holocene
Last Known Eruption: Unknown [1600?]
Summit Elevation: 2,460m
Latitude: 3.17°N Longitude: 98.392°E
Source: GVP

Sinabung is located in Group K Volcanoes

Map of Volcanoes. Background Map: University of Michigan. Designed and enhanced by Fire Earth Blog. Click image to enlarge.

The PVMBG categorizes Sinabung as a type A volcano, or those that have erupted since 1600. Type B volcanoes have not erupted since 1600 but show signs of activity, and type C are those that have not erupted in recorded history.

Indonesian Volcanoes

Indonesian Volcanoes have been responsible for a number of cataclysmic explosions in modern history.

An 1888 lithograph of the 1883 violent explosion of Krakatau.

Based on their models, our colleagues at EDRO forecast that volcanic activity on the island of Sumatra could cause the collapse of Singapore. However, they have not disclosed any further detail.

Mt Sinabung erupted explosively again on November 12, 2013 for a second time in 9 days. Image credit: CRIonLine via Xinhua. More images…

Chronology of Recent Eruptions

• Mass Evacuations as Sinabung Erupts Again January 8, 2014
• Mass Evacuation Ordered as Mt SINABUNG Put on Red Alert November 24, 2013
• A Second Indonesian Volcano Erupts Posted on November 19, 2013
• Sinabung Volcano Explodes November 3, 2013
• Thousands Flee Mount Sinabung Eruption September 16, 2013
• 22 Indonesian Volcanoes Remain on High Alerts Posted on November 16, 2013
• Mount Merapi Eruption Satellite Image November 16, 2010
• Merapi’s latest eruption the deadliest so far  November 5, 2010
• Mt Merapi Erupts Again, 70,000 Evacuated November 1, 2010

• Sinabung Getting More Serious September 7, 2010
• Sinabung Erupts Again – Strongest Explosion to Date September 7, 2010

• Sinabung Erupts Again August 30, 2010
• Mount Sinabung Erupts August 29, 2010

Mass Evacuations as Sinabung Erupts Again

Mount Sinabung Continues to Eject Volcanic Materials into the Air

Some 22,000 people living near Sinabung volcano have been evacuated Since Monday after the volcano erupted in North Sumatra, Indonesia.

The volcano is spewing columns of ash and smoke up to 4.5km above the summit crater, authorities said.

About 22,000 people have been evacuated near Mt Sinabung as the volcano continues to erupt. Mount Sinabung has been ejecting columns of ash and smoke up to 4.5km above the summit crater since Saturday. More than 60 pyroclastic flows extending up to 5 km from the crater have also been recorded. Photo credit: Agung Kuncahya B./Xinhua.  More images…

“The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has instructed all relevant ministries, government institutions, local disaster mitigation agencies and the Karo regency administration in North Sumatra to prepare for a worst-case scenario following an increase in Mount Sinabung’s volcanic activity during the past week,” said a report.

The “worst-case scenario” comes into if the exclusion zone is extended from its latest 7km radius, southeast slope of the volcano, to between 7.5 and 10 km from the crater.

More than 60 pyroclastic flows extending up to 5 km from the crater have been recorded with the flow volume increasing every day, said The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

The volume of volcanic material ejected so far is about a quarter of the total 2,540,000 cubic meters formed in Mt. Sinabung’s crater. “This means that the pyroclastic potential stored in the volcano’s lava dome is still substantial; so if it should all come out, the threat would be devastating,” Jakarta post quoted an official as saying.

Approximate location of Sinabung is marked  on the map by FEWW. Mount Sinabung is one of Indonesia’s 130  active volcanoes

Sinabung Volcano: Summary of Details

Country: Indonesia
Region: Sumatra
Volcano Type: Stratovolcano
Volcano Status: Holocene
Last Known Eruption: Unknown [1600?]
Summit Elevation: 2,460m
Latitude: 3.17°N Longitude: 98.392°E
Source: GVP

Sinabung is located in Group K Volcanoes

Map of Volcanoes. Background Map: University of Michigan. Designed and enhanced by Fire Earth Blog. Click image to enlarge.

The PVMBG categorizes Sinabung as a type A volcano, or those that have erupted since 1600. Type B volcanoes have not erupted since 1600 but show signs of activity, and type C are those that have not erupted in recorded history.

Indonesian Volcanoes

Indonesian Volcanoes have been responsible for a number of cataclysmic explosions in modern history.

An 1888 lithograph of the 1883 violent explosion of Krakatau.

Based on their models, our colleagues at EDRO forecast that volcanic activity on the island of Sumatra could cause the collapse of Singapore. However, they have not disclosed any further detail.

Chronology of Recent Eruptions

• Mass Evacuation Ordered as Mt SINABUNG Put on Red Alert November 24, 2013
• A Second Indonesian Volcano Erupts Posted on November 19, 2013
• 22 Indonesian Volcanoes Remain on High Alerts Posted on November 16, 2013
• Sinabung Volcano Explodes Posted on November 3, 2013
• Thousands Flee Mount Sinabung Eruption September 16, 2013

• Sinabung Erupts Again August 30, 2010
• Mount Sinabung Erupts  August 29, 2010
• Sinabung Erupts Again – Strongest Explosion to Date September 7, 2010
• Mount Merapi Eruption Satellite Image November 16, 2010
• Merapi’s latest eruption the deadliest so far  November 5, 2010
• Mt Merapi Erupts Again, 70,000 Evacuated November 1, 2010
• Mount Sinabung Erupts  August 29, 2010
• Sinabung Erupts Again  August 30, 2010
• Sinabung Erupts Again – Strongest Explosion to Date September 7, 2010
• Sinabung Getting More Serious September 7, 2010

Mass Evacuation Ordered as Mt SINABUNG Put on Red Alert

18,000 people evacuated as Sinabung activity intensifies

Mt Sinabung’s latest explosive eruption has prompted the authorities to raise the volcanic alert to the highest level, “siaga,” or “red alert,” according to Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center.

The alert level was raised from “orange” or “level III ” to the highest level “red” or “level IV” by PVMBG on Sunday, as the authorities evacuated an additional  11,618 residents from 19 villages and expanded the evacuation zone to a 5-km exclusion  zone from 3 km previously.

“This is Sinabung’s highest level of activity. The intensity of the eruptions continues to increase,” said Hendrasto, head of PVMBG.

Villagers evacuate to a safe area, as Mount Sinabung ejects ash into air at Aman Teran village in Karo district, Indonesia’s North Sumatra province, November 24, 2013. Credit: Reuters/YT Haryono. More images…

As of 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, Sinabung was continuing to eject an 8-km high column of smoke and ash into the air, he said.

Some 6,000 villagers had already been evacuated from the 3-km exclusion zone, about 90 km from Medan, capital of North Sumatra province.

The North Sumatra health has distributed 180,000 face masks, medicine and 4 tons of baby formula to relief posts in Karo regency, reported Jakarta Post.

Mt Sinabung erupted explosively again on November 12, 2013 for a second time in 9 days. Image credit: CRIonLine via Xinhua. More images…

Approximate location of Sinabung is marked  on the map by FEWW. Mount Sinabung is one of Indonesia’s 130  active volcanoes

Sinabung Volcano: Summary of Details

Country: Indonesia
Region: Sumatra
Volcano Type: Stratovolcano
Volcano Status: Holocene
Last Known Eruption: Unknown [1600?]
Summit Elevation: 2,460m
Latitude: 3.17°N Longitude: 98.392°E
Source: GVP

Sinabung is located in Group K Volcanoes

Map of Volcanoes. Background Map: University of Michigan. Designed and enhanced by Fire Earth Blog. Click image to enlarge.

The PVMBG categorizes Sinabung as a type A volcano, or those that have erupted since 1600. Type B volcanoes have not erupted since 1600 but show signs of activity, and type C are those that have not erupted in recorded history.

Mount Sinabung ejected tephra into the air as seen from Tanah Karo, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 3, 2010. (AP Photo/Dedy Zulkifli). Image may be subject to copyright.

Indonesian Volcanoes

Indonesian Volcanoes have been responsible for a number of cataclysmic explosions in modern history.

An 1888 lithograph of the 1883 violent explosion of Krakatau.

Based on their models, our colleagues at EDRO forecast that the collapse of Singapore may occur as a result of volcanic activity on the island of Sumatra. However, they have not disclosed any further detail.

Chronology of Recent Eruptions

• A Second Indonesian Volcano Erupts Posted on November 19, 2013
• 22 Indonesian Volcanoes Remain on High Alerts Posted on November 16, 2013
• Sinabung Volcano Explodes Posted on November 3, 2013
• Thousands Flee Mount Sinabung Eruption September 16, 2013

• Sinabung Erupts Again August 30, 2010
• Mount Sinabung Erupts  August 29, 2010
• Sinabung Erupts Again – Strongest Explosion to Date September 7, 2010

• Mount Merapi Eruption Satellite Image November 16, 2010
• Merapi’s latest eruption the deadliest so far  November 5, 2010
• Mt Merapi Erupts Again, 70,000 Evacuated November 1, 2010

• Mount Sinabung Erupts  August 29, 2010
• Sinabung Erupts Again  August 30, 2010
• Sinabung Erupts Again – Strongest Explosion to Date September 7, 2010
• Sinabung Getting More Serious September 7, 2010