Mount Semeru Erupts Today, Lontaran Abu Volcanic As High As 600 Meters

PVMBG recorded eruption activity in the form of ejection of volcanic ash as high as 600 meters outside the crater of Mount Semeru in East Java, Wednesday (21/6/2023). (ANTARA/HO-PVMBG)

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) recorded an eruption in the form of eruptions of volcanic ash as high as approximately 600 meters that came out of the crater of Mount Semeru in East Java.

"The ash column was observed to be gray with thick intensity to the north," said Mount Semeru Monitoring Post Officer Ahmad Basuki in a statement quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, June 21.

PVMBG noted that Mount Semeru had experienced two eruptions with the same height and direction this morning. The first eruption occurred at 07.47 WIB. The eruption was recorded through a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 millimeters and a duration of 100 seconds.

11 minutes later the second eruption appeared at 07.58 WIB.

The seismograph recorded the eruption with a maximum amplitude of 22 millimeters and a duration of 105 seconds.

PVMBG recommends that people do not carry out any activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan, as far as 13 kilometers from the eruption center.

Beyond this distance, the community does not carry out activities at a distance of 500 meters from the riverbank 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 kilometers from the summit.

PVMBG also recommends that people do not move within a five-kilometer radius of the crater of Mount Semeru because it is prone to the dangers of throwing stones.

The public is advised to be aware of the potential for hot clouds of avalanches, lava avalanches, and lahars along rivers or valleys that originate at the peak of Mount Semeru, especially along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat, as well as the potential for lava in small rivers that are tributaries of Besuk Kobokan.

Mount Semeru is still on Alert or Level III status. PVMBG recorded that the number of eruptions that occurred on the volcano was 30 times from January 1 to June 21, 2023.