Mount Dukono In North Maluku Erupts

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The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) reported an eruption that spewed ash as high as approximately 550 meters from the crater of Mount Dukono in North Maluku. Mount Dukono Observation Post Officer Bambang Sugiono in a statement received in Jakarta, Saturday, October 7 said the eruption occurred today at 06.25 WIT. "The ash column was observed to be white, gray, to black with thick intensity leaning towards the east," he said. Bambang said the current eruption has not threatened local population activity. The closest settlement is at a distance of 11 kilometers from the summit of Mount Dukono.

Mount Dukono is currently at level II or alert. Therefore, PVMBG recommends that people around the volcano avoid climbing activities, and approach the Maupang Warirang Crater within a two-kilometer radius. The community is recommended to always provide masks or mouth and mouth coverings in order to avoid the threat of volcanic ash in the respiratory system. "Given that eruptions with volcanic ash periodically occur and the spread of ash follows the direction and speed of the wind, so that the area hit by ash is not fixed, it is recommended that people around Mount Dukono always provide masks," said Bambang. Dukono Mountain is the northernmost strato volcano from a row of active volcanoes appearing on the volcanic arcs west of Halmahera Island, North Maluku Province. Geographically, North Maluku consists of 1,474 islands. The province was formed from the movement of three tectonic plates, namely Eurasia, Pacific, and Indo-Australian that have occurred since the limestone era. The movement of the three tectonic plates then formed arcs of the volcano archipelago. North Maluku has many volcano with a total of 16 mountains, including Mount Gamalama, Mount Dukono, Mount Gamkono, and Mount Jailolo