Warning! Mount Ibu Erupts Again Tonight (Wednesday, February 18, 2026)

Mount Ibu in North Maluku erupted again on Wednesday (February 18, 2026) at 8:57 PM WIT. In the past week, Mount Ibu has erupted 17 times.

Based on eruption information from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia application, the observed ash column height reached 400 meters above the peak or 1,725 meters above sea level.

The ash column was observed to be gray with thick intensity heading west. The eruption was recorded on the seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 28 millimeters and a duration of 53 seconds.

(Read: Jakarta's Air Quality This Morning is the Second Worst in the World (Friday, June 17, 2022))

According to the MAGMA Indonesia volcano activity report, Mount Ibu's activity level is at Level II (Warning). Earthquake observations on February 18, 2026 from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM WIT showed 107 eruption/explosion earthquakes with amplitudes of 16-28 millimeters and durations of 33-68 seconds.

Additionally, there was 1 blast earthquake with an amplitude of 10 millimeters and a duration of 32 seconds, as well as 5 harmonic earthquakes with amplitudes of 2-9 millimeters and durations of 38-151 seconds.

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

Throughout 2026, MAGMA Indonesia has recorded 670 volcanic eruptions across Indonesia. Mount Semeru in East Java erupted the most (354 times) while Mount Ibu erupted 275 times.

(Read: How Can Residents Identify Clean Air Amidst Poor Air Quality?)