Mount Semeru 5 Times Eruption with Eruption Height up to 1,000 Meters

JAKARTA - Mount Semeru, which is on the border of Lumajang and Malang Regencies, East Java, has erupted five times with an eruption height of 600 meters to 1,000 meters above the peak on Tuesday morning.

"The first eruption occurred at 01.05 WIB with the height of the volcanic ash column observed at around 600 meters above the peak," said Mount Semeru Observation Post Officer, Sigit Rian Alfian, in a written report reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, May 26.

According to him, the column of ash observed was white to gray with a thick intensity to the west, then the eruption was recorded on the seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 21 mm and a duration of 128 seconds.

The second eruption occurred at 05.31 WIB with the height of the observed eruption column about 900 meters above the peak and the observed ash column was white to gray with a thick intensity to the west, and was recorded on the seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 12 mm and a duration of 122 seconds.

The highest mountain on Java Island erupted again at 05.54 WIB with an observed eruption column height of about 800 meters above the peak or 4,476 meters above sea level (msl).

The observed ash column was white to gray with a thick intensity towards the west, the eruption was recorded on the seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 13 mm and a duration of 122 seconds.

"The fourth eruption occurred at 06.28 WIB with the height of the observed eruption column about 1,000 meters above the peak with the observed ash column colored white to gray with a thick intensity towards the southwest and west," he said.

He said the eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 17 mm and a duration of 109 seconds.

Two hours later, Mount Semeru erupted again at 08.37 WIB with an observed eruption column height of about 700 meters above the peak and an observed ash column of white to gray with thick intensity towards the northwest.

"The eruption was recorded on the seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 142 seconds," he said.

Sigit explained that currently the volcanic activity of Mount Semeru is at Level III Status (Alert) with the recommendation that the public not carry out any activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan, as far as 13 kilometers from the peak (eruption center).

Outside this distance, the public does not carry out activities at a distance of 500 meters from the river bank (river border) along Besuk Kobokan because they have the potential to be hit by the expansion of the hot cloud and lava flow up to a distance of 17 kilometers from the peak.

"The public is prohibited from carrying out activities within a radius of 5 kilometers from the crater/peak of Mount Semeru because they are prone to the danger of stone throwing (pijar)," he said.

The public is asked to be aware of the potential for hot clouds, lava ejection, and lahar along the river/valley streams upstream of the summit of Mount Semeru.

"Especially along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat and the potential for lava on small rivers which are tributaries of Besuk Kobokan," he said.