Alert: Mount Tambora Volcanic Activity Escalates to Level II
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) officially upgraded Mount Tambora’s volcanic activity status from Level I (Normal) to Level II (Alert) on 10 March 2026 at 10.00 Western Indonesia Time (WITA).
This upgrade followed monitoring results that revealed increased volcanic activity at the volcano located in Dompu and Bima districts, West Nusa Tenggara Province.
According to the Geological Agency, the increased activity is primarily indicated by a rise in seismic events associated with magma movement from deeper levels towards the magma chamber beneath the volcanic body.
Based on seismic monitoring data, January 2026 recorded 267 Deep Volcanic Earthquakes (VA). In February 2026, the number of Deep Volcanic Earthquakes increased significantly to 453 events.
This increase in Deep Volcanic Earthquakes indicates a rise in magmatic fluid pressure and magma supply from deeper levels towards a shallower magma system beneath Mount Tambora.
Seismic data from 1-9 March 2026 also showed continued intensive seismic activity. During this period, 9 Rockfall Earthquakes, 88 Deep Volcanic Earthquakes, 40 Local Tectonic Earthquakes, and 24 Distant Tectonic Earthquakes were recorded.
The dominance of Deep Volcanic Earthquakes demonstrates that magmatic dynamics beneath the volcanic body remain active and could potentially trigger increased activity in subsequent periods.
Visually, the volcanic summit has generally been observed clearly or obscured by clouds, with no volcanic gas emissions observed during the monitoring period. Weather conditions around the volcano varied from clear to rainy, with wind blowing weakly to strongly from various directions: north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, and northwest. Air temperature around the volcano ranged between 23-33°C.
Based on evaluation of visual and instrumental data, particularly seismic data showing significant increases in Deep Volcanic Earthquakes, Mount Tambora’s activity level was upgraded from Level I (Normal) to Level II (Alert) effective from 10 March 2026 at 10.00 WITA.
In relation to this activity level upgrade, residents near Mount Tambora and visitors or tourists are advised not to enter or conduct activities within a 3-kilometre radius of Mount Tambora’s centre of activity.
Furthermore, residents are prohibited from descending to the caldera floor, approaching the parasitic cones Doro Afi Toi or Doro Afi Bou, or approaching gas vents in the caldera floor.
Residents are also urged to be vigilant regarding potential hazards from rockfall or landslides on cliffs and caldera walls, which can occur at any time due to slope instability.
Local government and residents near the volcano are expected to coordinate continuously with the Mount Tambora Observation Post in Doro Peti Village, Pekat District, Dompu Regency, or with the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation in Bandung to obtain current information regarding volcanic activity.