Mount Semeru Five Times Eruption

Mount Semeru erupted on Tuesday morning at 09.03 WIB (ANTARA/HO-PVMBG)

LUMAJANG - Mount Semeru which has a height of 3,676 meters above sea level (masl) is on the border of Lumajang and Malang regencies, East Java experiencing five eruptions or eruptions since Tuesday morning.

The first eruption occurred at 01.47 WIB with an eruption height of about 500 meters above the peak and a column of ash was observed to be white to gray with thick intensity to the southwest. The eruption was recorded on the seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 122 seconds.

"The second eruption occurred at 02.21 WIB with an eruption height of about 700 meters above the peak or 4,376 meters above the peak," said Mount Semeru Observation Post Officer Mukdas Sofian as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, November 12.

The eruption also spewed volcanic ash which was observed to be white to gray with thick intensity to the southwest. The eruption of Mount Semeru was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 147 seconds.

The third eruption occurred at 08.27 WIB with an eruption height of about 400 meters above the peak and a column of ash was observed to be white to gray with moderate intensity to the south. When the report was made, the eruption was still ongoing.

After half an hour later, the highest mountain on the island of Java erupted again, precisely at 09.03 WIB with an eruption that was observed as high as 800 meters above the peak and the ash column was observed to be white to gray with moderate intensity to the southwest.

"The Semeru Monument erupted again at 09.19 WIB with an eruption height of 700 m above the peak. The ash column was observed to be white to gray with moderate intensity to the south. When the report was made, the eruption was still ongoing," he said.

Mount Semeru is still on alert status, so the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) provides a number of recommendations, namely that people are prohibited from carrying out any activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan as far as eight kilometers from the summit (the center of the eruption).

Beyond that distance, people are not allowed to carry out activities at a distance of 500 meters from the riverbank (river border) along Besuk Kobokan because it has the potential to be affected by the expansion of hot clouds and lava flows up to a distance of 13 kilometers from the summit.

"People are also not allowed to move within a three-kilometer radius of the crater/peak of Mount Semeru, because they are prone to the danger of throwing stones (lights)," he said.

In addition, the public also needs to be aware of the potential for hot clouds, lava avalanches, and rain lava along rivers/valleys that originate at the top of Mount Semeru, especially along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat, as well as the potential for lava in small rivers that are tributaries from Besuk Kobokan.