Alert! Danger Of Mount Gamalama Eruption In Ternate Malut

The main crater of Mount Gamalama in Ternate City, North Maluku Province (ANTARA)

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) revealed that there is a potential hazard of phreatic eruptions with the threat of material ejection from the main crater of Mount Gamalama in Ternate City, North Maluku Province. Head of PVMBG Hendra Gunawan said the ejection of volcanic material can reach a radius of 1.5 kilometers from the center of the eruption. "People around Mount Gamalama and tourists are not allowed to carry out activities or approach Mount Gamalama at a radius of 1.5 kilometers from the summit," Hendra said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, May 3. "In the rainy season, people who live around the river flow that originates at Mount Gamalama should be aware of the potential threat of lahar hazard," he said.

PVMBG continues to monitor visually and instrumentally related to the activity of Mount Gamalama through the Volcano Observation Post located on Jalan Facei Sabina Behind, Sangaji Utara Village, North Ternate District, Ternate City, North Maluku Province. Since January 2023, the volcanic activity of the volcano is dominated by distant tectonic earthquakes, local tectonic earthquakes, and deep volcanic earthquakes. Incidents of deep volcanic earthquakes were generally recorded one to two events per day.The crater smoke gusts are generally observed to be thin to thick white with a height of 10 to 300 meters above the peak. The current activity level is at Level II or alert as of March 10, 2015. Based on PVMBG records, the last eruption occurred on October 4, 2018 with a ash column height of 250 meters from the summit. The eruption characteristics generally occurred in the central crater with a relatively short eruption precursor. Hendra explained the latest developments of the activity of Mount Gamalama until May 3, 2023, at 09.00 WIT. Since May 1, 2023, the volcanic earthquake in experiencing an increase reached 11 times. A day later, May 2, 2023, the inner volcanic earthquake was recorded as much as 14 times. As for today, May 3, 2023, from 00.00 to 09.00 WIT, PVMBG recorded five volcanic earthquakes in, one shallow volcanic earthquake, five times earthquake gusts, one low frequency earthquake, and five times a distant tectonic earthquake. PVMBG also saw a gust of thin white crater smoke with a height of 50 equal 100 meters at May 3, 2023. Weak-medium winds to the west, southwest, north and northeast.

"In general, the activity of Mount Gamalama on May 1-3, 2023, at 09.00 WIT, tends to fluctuate and is still dominated by deep volcanic earthquakes and distant tectonic earthquakes related to regional tectonic activity around the Halmahera Islands," said Hendra. "Based on the results of observations, analysis of visual and instrumental data until May 3, 2023, at 12.00 WIT, the activity level of Mount Gamalama is still at Level II," he said.