PVMBG Records Mount Ile Lewotolok NTT 173 Eruptions In A Week

Illustration of the eruption of Mount Ile Lewotolok. BETWEEN/HO-PVMBG

The Center for Volcanology, Mitigation, Geological Disaster (PVMBG) recorded 173 eruptions or eruptions that occurred at the peak of Mount Ile Lewotolok in Lembata Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province for a week starting April 23-30, 2024.

"Based on instrumental observations, there were 173 eruptions or eruptions on the top of the mountain," said PVMBG Head Hendra Gunawan in a written statement, Friday, May 3, confiscated by Antara.

He said this when his party submitted a weekly report regarding the development of the volcanic activity of Mount Ile Lewotolok which had a devastating eruption in 2021.

Although the eruption activity is still high, he continued, visually the mountain is clearly visible until it is covered in fog. In addition, white to gray crater smoke was also observed with a thin to thick intensity with a height of 50 to 500 meters from the summit.

The eruption that occurred was only about 100 to 500 meters from the top of the mountain with an eruption column white to gray. There was an avalanche, but visually the distance and direction of the slide were not observed.

Furthermore, he said there was one earthquake, 2,349 earthquake gusts, three harmonic earthquakes, 18 non-harmonic tremors, and six hybrid earthquakes.

Meanwhile, Mount Lewotolok Monitoring Post Officer Syawaludin added that there were also 22 shallow volcanic earthquakes, 90 deep volcanic earthquakes, five local tectonic earthquakes, and eight distant tectonic earthquakes.

"Seismic energy calculated by the method of averaged amplitude values or so-called Real-time Seismic Amplitude Measurements (RSAM) shows energy fluctuations in this period with decreasing trends, but still above the normal threshold," he said.

Based on EDM (Electronic Distance Measurement) measurement data in the last one week period, he said, it shows oblique distance fluctuations with decreasing trends at both LWT1 measuring points (at night) and at LWT2 (at night).

He added that based on the results of a thorough analysis and evaluation until April 30, 2024, the activity level of Mount Ile Lewotolok is still at Level III (Alert).

Therefore, his party has issued recommendations so that the public is vigilant, including by not entering and not carrying out activities within a two km radius of the activity center.

People in the two villages that are under the foot of the mountain, such as Lamatokan Village and Jontona Village, should always be aware of the potential threat of avalanche/longsoran of lava and hot clouds from the eastern tip of the mountain.

Recommendations were also given to the people in Todonara Village not to enter and not to carry out activities in the southern and southeast sectoral areas as far as three km from the mountain activation center.