Geological Agency Researches Underwater Volcano Starting February 2024

Head of the Geological Agency Muhammad Wafid (left) together with the Head of the Center for Marine Geological Survey and Mapping, Hadi Wijaya/ANTARA

JAKARTA - The Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has compiled a research agenda to identify underwater mountains in Indonesia using the Geomarin III research vessel.

Head of the Center for Marine Geological Survey and Mapping, Hadi Wijaya, said geological research using seismic waves lasted for 50-60 days starting in February 2024.

"Next year we will enter the identification of the mountain that the sea in Mount Krakatau and Banua Wuhu in North Sulawesi," he said when met at the release of the cross-sea current research team at JICT 2 Port, Jakarta, reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, November 15.

He explained the identification of underwater mountains as a form of research on geological hazards or geohazard, considering that Indonesia is surrounded by active volcanic mountains.

"The geological danger is a geological condition that can cause extensive damage or numbers of the price of objects and lives," he said.

Head of the Geological Agency Muhammad Wafid said the duration of research for each underwater volcano lasted about a month.

He said the Geological Agency did not only take care of the beach, but also the offshore area. Therefore, his party began to research underwater volcanoes because there was a pillar of the Geohazard.

"We identified underwater volcanoes, how much do we have? Apart from the filter of fire we have identified, we already know that. Now what is under the sea like," said Wafid.

Based on data from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), Mount Banua Wuhu is southwest of Mahengetang Island which has an area of about one kilometer.

Banua Wuhu is an underwater volcano that when an explosive eruption occurs, it has the potential to damage its peak area, so that the volcano sometimes appears on the surface and sometimes does not appear on the sea surface.

Meanwhile, Krakatau is an active volcanic island located in Rajabasa District, South Lampung Regency. The devastating eruption that occurred in 1883 created a tsunami as high as 40 meters.

After the paroximal eruption, the young volcano was named Mount Anak Krakatau. The type A strato volcano was formed in 1927 and has emerged to sea level since 1929.

Since then until now Mount Anak Krakatau has been in the construction phase or building its body to a large extent. Within 94 years of its first appearance, Mount Anak Krakatau now has a height of 157 meters above sea level.