The Head of the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster\nMitigation (PVMBG) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Rita\nSusilawati, has explained the reason why the sound of a boom, suspected\nto be related to the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau, could be heard as\nfar as Bandung, West Java. According to her, acoustic energy from an\neruption can propagate for hundreds of kilometres.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom our observations, not only for Anak Krakatau but also for\nseveral other volcanoes in Indonesia, when a large eruption occurs\u2014or\nnot just large eruptions, but eruptions of a certain type, because\nphreatic types are usually accompanied by loud booms,\u201d said Rita during\na press conference via the Geological Agency\u2019s YouTube channel on\nSaturday (5\/9\/2026).<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen this happens, the release of acoustic energy can be very large,\nand it is this acoustic energy that can propagate for hundreds of\nkilometres,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Rita stated that the long-distance propagation of eruption sounds is\nnot an impossible phenomenon. She cited the explosive eruption of Mount\nKelud on 13 February 2014 as an example.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can look at the explosive eruption of Mount Kelud on 13 February\n2014; the sound of the boom could be heard in several areas of Central\nJava, far from the source of the eruption. The eruption at Mount Kelud\nat that time had a column of 17 kilometres, thus releasing very large\nacoustic energy,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
Therefore, according to her, based on monitoring data, the sound of\nthe boom can be heard from a great distance. However, she could not yet\nconfirm the exact cause of the boom, though she suspects it originated\nfrom an eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegarding the cause, as we mentioned, we suspect the sound was\nrelated to the eruption of Anak Krakatau that occurred last night; there\nis a strong suspicion that it is indeed related to the Anak Krakatau\nvolcano,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She noted that her agency still needs to cross-reference data to\nconfirm the cause of the vibrations and the boom. She reiterated that it\nis not impossible for the sound of a boom to be heard from a great\ndistance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is indeed possible for it to reach hundreds of kilometres based\non the information and literature we possess, and based on the eruption\nhistory of several volcanoes in Indonesia. Including Mount Kelud, the\nsound could propagate as far as Yogyakarta and several areas in Central\nJava,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Rita explained that atmospheric conditions, such as\ntemperature differences, wind direction, and wind speed, can affect\nsound propagation. However, she noted that further explanation would be\nrequired from relevant meteorological institutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsidering the 2020 Anak Krakatau event and the 2014 Kelud\neruption, we suspect that the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau is one of\nthe possible sources of the boom heard in several areas of West Java on\n4-5 September 2026,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cLiterature states that differences in temperature and wind speed can\nindeed cause this, but this may fall within the domain of weather\nagencies, which can provide further explanation,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
In the Geological Agency\u2019s Threads account, they also explained the\nreasons why the Anak Krakatau boom could be heard in Bandung, citing two\nprimary causes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy could the boom from Krakatau be heard in Bandung? It could be\ncaused by, firstly, the rapid expansion of gas release. Secondly, the\nfriction and turbulence of high-speed lava flow within the conduit (vent\nhole),\u201d wrote the Geological Agency.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/explanation-provided-for-why-anak-krakataus-boom-could-be-heard-as-far-as-bandung-1788587885", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }