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Multiple eruptions rock Mount Semeru, ash columns reach 1,200 meters
Mount Semeru remains at alert Level II, with authorities urging the public to stay at least 8 kilometers from the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan, the primary drainage area for lava and pyroclastic flows.
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This picture taken on Dec. 17, 2022, shows Mount Semeru spewing thick smoke and hot lava in Lumajang, East Java. (AFP/Agus Harianto)
T
he Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has reported that Mount Semeru, situated on the border of Lumajang and Malang districts in East Java, erupted several times on Wednesday morning, spewing thick ash plumes up to 1,200 meters above the Mahameru peak.
An officer at the Mount Semeru Observation Post, Liswanto, said the volcano erupted three times between midnight and 9.30 a.m. local time, with the most significant explosion taking place at 6.12 a.m., as reported by Antara.
PVMBG monitoring data from Tuesday recorded a total of 43 eruption-related seismic events, with amplitudes ranging from 12 to 23 mm and durations of 67 to 170 seconds.
The volcano also produced one tremor with an amplitude of 2 mm lasting 88 seconds, and nine other quakes with amplitudes between 4 and 8 mm.
Mt. Semeru remains at alert Level II waspada (advisory), prompting the PVMBG to issue several warnings for the surrounding area.
Residents and visitors are advised to stay at least 8 kilometers away from the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan, the primary drainage area for lava and pyroclastic flows.
The PVMBG has also cautioned against the threat of hot clouds, lava flows and rain-induced lahars that may travel along rivers and valleys originating from the summit.
Pyroclastic flows may reach up to 13 km along the Besuk Kobokan River. The public is urged to avoid activity within 500 m of the riverbanks and to be vigilant around smaller tributaries of the river.
Since the beginning of this year, Mt. Semeru has erupted 84 times. Most recently, on May 24, it released a volcanic ash plume reaching 900 m above the summit, followed by four more eruptions that morning.
