Mount Dempo South Sumatra Becomes Higher After Eruption, Geological Agency: Deformation Observations

Illustration: Tourism in a tea garden around Mount Dempo Pagaralam is safe. BETWEEN/Yudi Abdullah

JAKARTA - Mount Dempo in South Sumatra (Sumsel) has experienced an inflation trend or changes in shape to be higher or bigger in the past week.

This is based on the observations of the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) which found inflation in the western sector of Mount Dempo indicated that there was still a significant source of pressure from shallow depths.

"Deformation monitoring using the GNSS and tiltmeter method shows a trend of mountain body inflation, meaning that pressure from shallow depths is still ongoing," said Head of the Geological Agency Muhammad Wafid in Jakarta, Tuesday, quoted by Antara.

He explained that this phenomenon occurred in conjunction with the eruption of Mount Dempo on Tuesday morning at 07.48 WIB, which spewed the column of the eruption as high as 1,300 meters above the peak with thick white leaning towards the south.

Observations of the volcanic monitoring post in Pagar Alam also noted that in the August 1 period, a number of seismic activity, including 40 earthquake gusts, two earthquakes were felt on the MMI I - II scale, 10 tectonic earthquakes were far away, and tremors continued with an amplitude of 0.5-10 mm, the dominant of 5 mm.

The Geological Agency ensures that the level of activity of Mount Dempo is still at Level II (Alert).

That way, people, climbers, and tourists are recommended not to approach the Marapi Crater of Mount Dempo within a radius of 1 kilometer, and stay away from the northern sector as far as 2 kilometers from the crater opening.

Wafid emphasized that the eruption of Mount Dempo was a phreatic that could occur suddenly without the clear volcanic symptoms preceded. "That's why vigilance must be maintained because the potential for ejection of hazardous materials and gas remains," he said.

The Geological Agency will continue to monitor activities, assess hazards, and disseminate information to the public.

Information on the development of Mount Dempo activity can be accessed through the application of geological agencies as well as directly from the volcanic monitoring post in Pagar Alam City, South Sumatra.