Mount Ibu Lontarkan Abu Volcanic As High As 800 Meters

PVMBG recorded an eruption of volcanic ash as high as approximately 800 meters that came out of the crater of Mount Ibu in North Maluku, Saturday (21/10/2023). BETWEEN/HO-PVMBG

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) reports that there has been an eruption in the form of volcanic ash coming out of the crater of Mount Ibu on Halmahera Island, North Maluku.

Mount Ibu Observation Post officer, Evitita Lusy Andriany Saragih, said the eruption occurred at 21.30 WIT with a column height of approximately 800 meters.

"The ash column was observed to be gray with thick intensity to the southwest," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, October 21.

The eruption was recorded through a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 28 millimeters and a duration of 62 seconds.

PVMBG stated that the location of the closest settlement is six to seven kilometers from the crater of Mount Ibu.

From January 1, 2023 to October 21, 2023, Mount Ibu was recorded to have experienced an eruption with 44 eruptions recorded. The volcano with level II or standby status occupies the third position of the mountain that actively erupted after Mount Ili Lewotolok as many as 73 eruptions and Mount Anak Krakatau as many as 62 eruptions.

PVMBG urges the public not to move within a two-kilometer radius and to expand sectorally within 3.5 kilometers towards the crater opening in the northern part of the active crater of Mount Ibu.

In the event of ash rain, people who are active outside the home are advised to use a nose, mouth (mask) and eyes (glasses).

Mount Ibu is a volcano-type volcano that has a height of 1,325 meters above sea level located northwest of Halmahera Island, North Maluku.

The top of the mountain is a volcanic crater. The crater center has a width of 1 kilometer and a depth of 400 meters, while the outer part has a width of 1.2 kilometers.