PVMBG: Mount Marapi Status Rises To Alert

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has raised the status of Mount Marapi activity in Agam Regency and Tanah Datar Regency, West Sumatra, from Level II (Alert) to Level III (Alert) starting November 6, 2024 at 15.00 WIB.

"The status of the activity of Mount Marapi, West Sumatra, has been raised from Level II to Level III," said Head of the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Muhammad Wafid as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, November 6.

Wafid said the series of eruptions or eruptions uncontinuously continued to this day as a result of the dynamics of the ups and downs of fluid supply from the depth of the volcano being observed, mainly from fluctuations in the height of the ash column of the eruption and the seismicity.

Visually, over the past few years, the activity of Mount Marapi has tended to increase. The activity of gusts and eruptions is getting more intensive, where the height of the ash column of the eruption was observed 2,000 meters above the peak on October 27, 2024, and 1,500 meters above the peak on November 6, 2024 at 05.44 WIB.

Then in seismicity since October 7, 2024, there has been a tendency to increase, especially the deep volcanic earthquake (VA) which is associated with increasing fluid supply from depth. This increase in seismicity is also in line with the inflationary deformation at the peak of Mount Marapi.

From the seismic and coherence velocity variation data, it shows disruption of the condition of the subsurface medium (near the surface) of Mount Marapi's body due to increased pressure on the volcanic body.

Based on the evaluation of monitoring data, in general, the activity of the mountain has increased. "Thus, eruptions or eruptions can occur at any time as a form of releasing energy accumulation," he said.

In fact, this condition can be more intensive with the coverage of eruption material that is getting further away if the supply of fluid (magma and gas) from the continuing depth increases.

Responding to the increase in status or level, PVMBG issued a number of recommendations, including the community, climbers or visitors so as not to enter and carry out activities within a radius of 4.5 kilometers from the eruption center (Verbeek Luxury).