Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki Erupts Early Thursday Morning, Status Raised to Alert

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in East Nusa Tenggara erupted again on Thursday (4/7/2024) at 02.43 WITA. In the last week, Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki has erupted 19 times.

According to eruption information from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia application, the ash column height was observed to reach 300 meters above the peak (1,884 meters above sea level).

The ash column was observed to be gray with moderate intensity towards the southwest and west. The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 16.2 millimeters and a duration of 239 seconds.

According to the MAGMA Indonesia volcano activity report, the activity level of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki is at Level III (Alert). Observations of seismic activity on July 4, 2024, from 18.00 to 23.59 WITA showed 38 shallow volcanic earthquakes with amplitudes of 3.7-27.9 millimeters and durations of 6-11 seconds.

Then, there were 7 deep volcanic earthquakes with amplitudes of 3.7-24.3 millimeters, s-p 0.8-2.7 seconds, and durations of 6-15 seconds, and 1 local tectonic earthquake with an amplitude of 7.4 millimeters, s-p 4.1 seconds, and a duration of 27 seconds.

PVMBG urges the public around Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki and visitors/tourists not to carry out any activities within a 3-kilometer radius of the eruption center of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, and a sectoral 4-kilometer radius in the northeast direction and a 5-kilometer radius in the northeast sector.

During 2024, MAGMA Indonesia has recorded 1,427 volcanic eruptions/eruptions throughout Indonesia. Mount Semeru in East Java had the most eruptions (629 eruptions), while Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted 292 times.