Mount Semeru Erupts Again With A Eruption Of 700 Meters High

Mount Semeru erupted with an eruption as high as 700 meters above the peak of Mahameru on Friday (16/2/2024) at 17.20 WIB. BETWEEN/HO-PVMBG

Mount Semeru, which is on the border between Lumajang Regency and Malang, East Java, erupted again with an eruption of 700 meters above the peak of Mahameru.

"There was an eruption of Mount Semeru on February 16, 2024, at 17.20 WIB. The height of the eruption column was observed about 700 meters above the peak or about 4,376 meters above sea level," said Semeru Volcano Observation Post Officer Sigit Rian Alfian as reported by ANTARA, Friday, February 16.

According to him, the column of volcanic ash was observed to be white to gray with thick intensity to the northwest and the eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 23 mm and a duration of 144 seconds.

Previously, the highest mountain on the island of Java erupted on Friday at 16.37 WIB, but the height of the eruption was not observed and the eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 127 seconds.

For reports of seismic activity of Mount Semeru on Friday, the period at 12.00-18.00 WIB was recorded at 18 earthquake eruptions with an amplitude of 10-23 mm, and an earthquake duration of 52-144 seconds.

Then two avalanches with an amplitude of 2-3 mm and an earthquake of 51-70 seconds, and 7 gusts with an amplitude of 3-6 mm, and an earthquake of 35-46 seconds.

The mountain, which has a height of 3,676 meters above sea level, is still at Alert or Level III status, so people are advised not to carry out any activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan, as far as 13 km from the summit (the center of the eruption).

Beyond this distance, the community does 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 17 km from the summit.

Then people are prohibited from doing activities within a 5 km radius from the crater/peak of Mount Semeru because they are prone to the danger of throwing stones (pijar).

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