Mount Semeru Erupts 4 Times, Eruption Reaches 1.2 Km Above The Peak

Illustration of the eruption of Mount Semeru (ANTARA)

Mount Semeru, which is located on the border of Lumajang and Malang Regencies, East Java, erupted with an eruption height of up to 1.2 kilometers above the peak on Tuesday morning.

"There was an eruption of Mount Semeru at 07.15 WIB with an eruption column height of about 1,200 meters above the peak or height of 4,876 meters above sea level (masl)," said Mount Semeru Observation Post Officer, Liswanto, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, July 15.

According to him, the ash column was observed to be white to gray with moderate intensity to the south and when the report was made, the eruption was still ongoing.

Based on officers' records, the eruption with an eruption height of up to 1.2 km was the fourth eruption today, because previously the highest mountain on the island of Java erupted at 04.20 WIB with an eruption height of about 800 meters above the peak.

The ash column was observed to be white to gray with thick intensity to the south and southwest. The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 152 seconds.

Then, the second eruption occurred at 06.21 WIB and the visual eruption was not observed, but when the report was made, the eruption was recorded as still ongoing.

"The Semeru Monument erupted again at 06.51 WIB with an eruptive column height of about 600 meters above the peak (4,276 mdpl)," said Liswanto.

He said the ash column was observed to be white to gray with moderate intensity to the north and southwest. When the report was made, the eruption was still ongoing. Then the fourth eruption occurred after a few minutes, namely 07.15 WIB with an eruption column height of up to 1.2 km.

Mount Semeru is still on alert or level II status, so the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) provides a number of recommendations, namely that people are prohibited from carrying out any activity in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan as far as eight kilometers from the summit (the center of the eruption).

Beyond that distance, he said, people should not carry out activities at a distance of 500 meters from the riverbank (river border) along Besuk Kobokan, because it has the potential to be affected by the expansion of hot clouds and lava flows up to a distance of 13 kilometers from the summit.

"The public is also advised not to move within a three-kilometer radius of the crater/peak of Mount Semeru, because it is prone to the dangers of incandescent stones," said Liswanto.

He appealed to the public to be aware of the potential for hot clouds, lava avalanches, and rain lava along rivers/valleys whose water flows originate at the top of Mount Semeru, especially along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat, as well as the potential for lava in small rivers which are tributaries from Besuk Kobokan.