Geological Agency Says Magma Supply Still Occurs On Mount Kelimutu

Visual CCTV Lake Kawah I Gunung Kelimutu, Ende Regency, NTT, Thursday (20/6/2024). (ANTARA/HO-PVMBG)

The Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) said that there was still a supply of magma to the surface in the seismic activity of Mount Kelimutu in Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). "Warna air lake crater, sebaran sulphur yang intensif dan fluktuasi kegempatan mengindakan masih terjadinya pasokan magma ke muka," kata Ketua Pos Observation Gunung Kelimutu, Irwan Ka Uman ketika dihubungi dari Kupang, Antara, Kamis, 20 Juni. The results of instrumental observations during the period 1-15 June 2024 show that seismicity is dominated by volcanic earthquakes in 17 times. Local volcanic, shallow volcanic, and tectonic earthquakes, he said, decreased, while the earthquake felt higher than before. Furthermore, from visual observations, it indicates that rock dissolving occurs in crater I and rising magmatic fluid to the surface which is shown from the distribution of sulfur on the surface of the crater lake. In addition, the distribution of sulfur deposits on the water surface of crater II lakes shows the activity of a magnesium-hydrothermal system below it. "The potential threat of the danger of Mount Kelimutu is currently still a phreatic and magmatic eruption," he said. Irwan explained that the phreatic eruption was an eruption or eruption that occurred when magma heated groundwater or surface water which caused water evaporation which almost immediately became vapor, resulting in vapor explosions, water, ash, rocks, and volcanic bombs. Meanwhile, the eruption or eruption of magma is one type of volcanic activity that occurs when magma from within the earth rises closer to the surface and exits through the volcano. With the potential threat of danger, Irwan said the level of activity of Mount Kelimutu is still at Level II or Alert. For this reason, the Geological Agency recommends that people or visitors around Mount Kelimutu not be around the crater area within a radius of 250 meters from the crater edge. "Because the eruption of phreatics and magmatics can produce material ejections within a radius of 250 meters," he reminded.

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