Alert! Mother's Mount Earthquake Activity In Halmahera Is Still High

A five-kilometer high volcanic ash column was formed due to the eruption of Mount Ibu in North Maluku, Wednesday (15/5/2024). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) recorded that the number of earthquakes that occurred due to volcanic activity was still high on Mount Ibu which is northwest of Halmahera Island, North Maluku. "The smoke of the main crater was white and gray with a thin, moderate to high intensity of about 200 to 5,000 meters from the summit," said the Head of the Mount Ibu Observation Post, Ridwan Djalil, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, May 22. Based on PVMBG data, the number of earthquakes in Mount Ibu still reached thousands of times a day with the dominance of shallow volcanic earthquakes and gust earthquakes. The existence of shallow volcanic earthquakes indicates an increase in pressure due to magma migration towards shallow depths. On May 21, 2024, PVMBG recorded 1 eruption earthquake, 292 earthquake gusts, 8 times earthquake gusts, 8 times tornillo earthquake, 791 if volcanic earthquake is shallow, 25 times deep volcanic earthquake, and 9 times a distant tectonic earthquake. Mother's Gunung is a strato-type volcano and has a peak height of 1.340 meters above sea level. administratively included in the region of Mother District, West Halmahera Regency, North Maluku Province. Geological Agency conducts visual and instrumental observations of volcanic earthquake observations located in Gam Ici Village, Mother District, West Halmahera District, North Maluku. On May 16, 2024, at 15.00 WIT, the Geological Agency announced an increase in the status of Mount Ibu from previously alert or level III to be alert or level IV. The decision raised that status due to an increase in the number of earthquakes and volcanic ash ejections that tend to be higher than usual.

Until now, the alert status is still embedded in Mount Ruang because volcanic and seismic activity is still relatively high. The community around Mount Ibu and visitors or tourists are asked not to move, climb, and approach Mount Ibu within a four-kilometer radius and sectorally seven kilometers from the direction of the crater opening in the northern part of the active crater.