The Indonesian Volcano Team Calls Mount Dempo Still A Alert Status

The condition of the crater of Mount Dempo Pagaralam, South Sumatra, Saturday (11/5/2024). (ANTARA/HO-Indonesian Volcano Team)

JAKARTA - The head of the Indonesian Volcano Team, Heruningtyas Desi Purnamasari, revealed that Mount Dempo Pagaralam, South Sumatra (Sumsel), is still on alert status due to the phenomenon of changing the color of the lake in the crater of the mountain.

"We are still setting Alert status, Level II, on Mount Dempo to anticipate a sudden phreatic eruption," said Heruningtyas Desi, quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, May 11.

He explained that the beginning of the crater lake of Mount Dempo changed color. On May 8, 2024, through CCTV monitoring, the color of the lake is still as usual green toska. Then on May 9, the next day, it was observed that it turned gray and brown.

This is due to the chemical content of Mount Dempo due to high rainfall at the top of the mountain and an increase in temperature.

In addition to changing colors, he said, white smoke was also observed with a thin intensity at the top of Mount Dempo.

The color of the crater has also changed at Mount Batur because of the convection current which causes the bottom material of the lake crater to be lifted like a diperuk, namely convection currents related to higher temperatures rising upwards, then the temperature above which is low is below the situation such as rotating which causes the material to turn into soil brown.

Currently, earthquakes occur in the Mount Dempo area on a shallow surface, for example, the low frequency of deep and tectonic volcanic earthquakes. However, those who are still intensely tremors with the dominant amplitude are 0.5 millimeters.

"We direct the public, climbers, or tourists, not to carry out climbing activities approaching, even a radius of one kilometer and the direction of the crater opening or the north side as far as two kilometers," he said.

According to him, the crater of the eruption center contained dangerous gas and most contained toxins and dangers when consumed. It will also modernize monitoring tools on Mount Dempo.