Mount Anak Krakatau Ash Spreads Across Jakarta, Java and Sumatra
Mount Anak Krakatau Ash Spreads Across Jakarta, Java and Sumatra
Reporter
September 6, 2026 | 11:48 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau in Indonesia became a topic of public discussion on the morning of Sunday, September 6, 2026. Several regions experienced ashfall, specifically in western Java, including Jakarta and its surrounding areas. The spread of volcanic ash also reached parts of Sumatra.
According to information from the MAGMA Indonesia website (Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources), Mount Anak Krakatau is continuing to erupt, an activity that has been ongoing since last Friday morning. Recent eruptions were recorded by seismographs at times including 05:53 and 07:10 WIB (Western Indonesian Time).
It was reported that while the eruption was not visually observed, seismographs recorded it with a maximum amplitude of 50 mm and a duration of 16 seconds for the second eruption. In a previous statement, the Geological Agency noted that continuous eruptions accompanied by “lava fountain” phenomena lasting several hours are common occurrences.
Satellite imagery released by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology last Saturday morning clearly captured the spread of volcanic ash from the Mount Anak Krakatau eruption. “The volcano spewed thick smoke into the atmosphere. On satellite imagery, the smoke column moving westward could be clearly seen,” the statement read.
That same Saturday morning, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology stated that the Australian mainland was safe from the ash’s impact, though flights to or through Indonesia were not.
Incandescent lava from Mount Anak Krakatau is visible from Pasauran, Serang Regency, Banten, on September 5, 2026. ANTARA/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas
On Saturday evening, Erma Yulihastin, a researcher at BRIN’s Climate and Atmosphere Research Center, revealed that the Mount Anak Krakatau eruption formed a pyrocumulus cloud that spread horizontally to the west. She cited satellite observations from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2B.
“If an eruption can be visually observed via satellite, it indicates a very significant and dense eruption volume,” she said in information shared via her social media account. She authorized the use of this statement for this article.
Erma also revealed that, based on simulations, the eruption formed a tall column—estimated at 13–14 kilometers in height—reaching the altitude of the tropopause. “At certain times, when strong sea breezes and low-pressure conditions develop in Banten, pyrocumulus clouds could drift toward the Serang area of Banten and its surroundings,” he said.
Read: AirNav Intensifies Jakarta Airspace Monitoring Amid Mount Anak Krakatau Ash
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