Warning! Mount Ibu Erupts Again Tonight (Sunday, March 8, 2026)

Mount Ibu in North Maluku erupted again on Sunday (March 8, 2026) at 9:49 PM WIT. In the past week, Mount Ibu has erupted 35 times.

Quoting eruption information from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia application, the observed ash column height reached 500 meters above the peak (1,825 meters above sea level).

The ash column was observed to be white to gray in color with moderate to thick intensity towards the east and southeast. The eruption of Mount Ibu was still ongoing when this report was made.

(Read: Despite Being Rained On, Jakarta's Air Quality Remains Poor)

According to the MAGMA Indonesia volcanic activity report, Mount Ibu's activity level is at Level II (Warning). Earthquake observations on March 8, 2026, from 00:00 to 23:59 WIT showed 97 eruption/explosion earthquakes with an amplitude of 15-28 millimeters and a duration of 34-96 seconds.

Then, 3 emission earthquakes with an amplitude of 4-8 millimeters and a duration of 32-52 seconds, as well as 11 harmonic earthquakes with an amplitude of 3-28 millimeters and a duration of 42-114 seconds.

PVMBG advises people around Mount Ibu and visitors/tourists not to carry out activities within a 2-kilometer radius and a sectoral expansion of 3.5 kilometers towards the crater opening in the northern part of Mount Ibu's active crater.

Throughout 2026, MAGMA Indonesia has recorded 903 volcanic eruptions across Indonesia. Mount Semeru in East Java had the most eruptions (462 times) while Mount Ibu erupted 382 times.

(Read: Not Jakarta, This is the Area with the Worst Air Quality in Indonesia (Wednesday, June 7, 2023))