Mount Semeru Erupts Three Times on Sunday Morning

Mount Semeru, which has a height of 3,676 meters above sea level, erupted three times on Sunday (17/5) morning.

The first eruption occurred at 05:37 WIB with the height of the eruption column observed to be about 500 meters above the peak or 4,176 mdpl,” said Officer of the Semeru Mountain Observation Post, Yadi Yuliandi, in a written report received in Lumajang, Sunday.

According to him, the ash column was observed to be grey with moderate to thick intensity towards the north. The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 189 seconds.

Mount Semeru erupted again at 07:44 WIB with the height of the eruption column observed to be about 500 meters above the peak (4,176 mdpl).

The ash column was observed to be white to grey with thick intensity towards the north and northwest. The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 118 seconds,” he said.

The highest mountain on the island of Java erupted again at 07:46 WIB with the height of the eruption column observed to be about 700 meters above the peak (4,376 mdpl).

The ash column was observed to be white to grey with thick intensity towards the north and northwest. The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 138 seconds,” he said.

He explained that Mount Semeru is at Level III (Alert) volcanic activity status, so the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has provided several recommendations, namely that people should not carry out any activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan, as far as 13 kilometers from the peak (the center of the eruption).

Outside this distance, he said, people should not carry out activities within a radius of 500 meters from the banks of the river (riverbanks) along Besuk Kobokan because they have the potential to be affected by the expansion of hot clouds and lava flows up to a distance of 17 km from the peak.

“People are prohibited from carrying out activities within a radius of 5 km from the crater/peak of Mount Api Semeru because they are prone to the danger of rock (incandescent) projectiles,” he said.

He also appealed to people to be aware of the potential for hot clouds, lava flows, and lahars along rivers/valleys that originate at the peak of Mount Api Semeru.

“Especially along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat, as well as the potential for lahar on small rivers which are tributaries of Besuk Kobokan,” said Yadi Yuliandi.

(antara)