Water Color Changes Dark Chocolate, Tourist Visits To Lake Kelimutu Are Restricted

Visually, one of the craters of Lake Kelimutu on Mount Kelimutu, Ende, NTT has changed color from green to dark brown. The current status of Mount Kelimutu is Level II (Alert). (ANTARA/Personal Documentation)

JAKARTA - The Kelimutu National Park Center (TN) limits tourist visits to Lake Kelimutu in Ende, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) after the increase in the status of Mount Kelimutu's volcanic activity from Level I (Normal) to Level II (Alert).

"The visit was not closed but limited, the visit area was in accordance with the direction of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation with a safe radius of 250 meters," said Head of the Kelimutu TN, Budi Mulyanto, as reported by ANTARA, Saturday, May 25.

Mount Kelimutu is a strato-type volcano that has three crater lakes, namely Crater 1 (Tiwu Ata Polo), Crater 2 (Tiwu Koofai Nuwamuri), and Crater 3 (Tiwu Ata Bupu).

He said restrictions were placed on Crater 1 and 2 which visitors were not allowed to approach.

This refers to visual and instrumental Geological Agency monitoring which shows significant changes, both the color of the Crater 1 lake water, as well as the dynamics and distribution of sulfur on the surface of the increasingly intensive Crater 2 lake.

The Geological Agency noted visual observations indicated a rock solvent in Crater 1 and an increase in the magmatic fluid to the surface, which was shown from an increase in the water temperature of Crater Lake 2.

In addition, the expansion of sulfur deposits on the water surface of Crater 2 lakes shows an increase in the activity of the magmatic-hydrothermal system below it.

Changes in the color of the crater lake water, intensive sulfur distribution, supported by increased seismicity, indicate a magma supply to the surface.

Thus, he said, the potential danger of the danger of Mount Kelimutu is currently a phreatic and magnesium eruption that produces ejection of material within a radius of 250 meters and ash rain that can occur with distance and intensity depending on the direction and speed of the wind.

Budi said there was no significant impact from the restrictions on the tourism sector.

This status increase was carried out on Friday (24/5), at 13.00 WITA so that restrictions began to be carried out after that.

However, he hopes that visitors and tourists will continue to comply with the rules that have been issued for mutual safety.

"The public is advised to be wise and careful in visiting, obey all the advice that has been given," he said.

After increasing the status of Mount Kelimutu's volcanic activity to Level II, the Geological Agency recommended that the community or visitors around the mountain not be within a radius of 250 meters from the crater edge.

Intensive monitoring to evaluate mountain activity is still carried out by the Geological Agency through the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation.