Mount Semeru Is Still Level III, People Are Asked Not To Have 5 Km Radius Activities From Crater

Ranu Kumbolo, salaj one area camp under the foot of Mount Semeru,/ Photo: Bitor Ekin Putra

JAKARTA In recent weeks, the activity of Mount Semeru in Lumajang Regency, East Java is still dominated by earthquake eruptions and avalanches. Reportedly, the 3,676-meter high mountain above sea level (masl) has experienced an eruption 15 times.

Officers of the Mount Semeru Volcano Observation Post on Mount Sawur Lumajang Mukdas Sofian said that 15 eruptions/eruption earthquakes were recorded with an amplitude of 11-20 mm on Sunday at 00.00-06.00 WIB.

"In addition, seven earthquakes were recorded with an amplitude of 3-6 mm. Apart from eruptions and avalanches, Mount Semeru also experienced one volcanic earthquake, one distant tectonic earthquake," said Mukdas, Sunday, June 11.

For visual observations of Mount Semeru, it was clearly visible until it was covered in fog, smoke from the crater was not observed, then the weather was sunny to cloudy, the wind was weak to the southeast, and other information was recorded by continuous harmonic tremors with an amplitude of a maximum of 2-20 mm from 00.00-06.00 WIB.

During the observation period at 06.00-12.00 WIB, 14 earthquake eruptions were recorded with an amplitude of 13-21 mm, three avalanches, two gusts, and 20 harmonics with an amplitude of 3-20 mm.

Meanwhile, in the observation period for the next six hours at 12.00-18.00 WIB, the highest mountain recorded on the island of Java experienced six eruptions with an amplitude of 16-20 mm.

"Semeru also experienced 3 avalanches with an amplitude of 4-7 mm with an earthquake of about 50-63 seconds," he said.

The seismograph also recorded 11 harmonics with an amplitude of 4-20 mm and two distant tectonic earthquakes with an amplitude of 20-21 mm.

Mount Semeru is still on alert or level III, so the public is advised to comply with the recommendations set by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG).

People are prohibited from carrying out any activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan as far as 13 km from the summit (the center of the eruption) and outside that distance, people are also not allowed to carry out activities at a distance of 500 meters from the river bank (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 17 km from the summit.

"The community on the slopes of Semeru is also advised not to move within a 5 km radius of the crater of Mount Semeru because it is prone to the danger of throwing stones (pijar)," he said.

In addition, the public is also advised to be aware of the potential for Hot Clouds to Fall (APG), lava avalanches, and lahars along rivers and valleys that originate at the peak of the Semeru Volcano.