Mount Ibu Erupts Again Tonight, Ash Column Reaches 700 Meters Above Peak

Mount Ibu in North Maluku erupted again on Tuesday (March 17, 2026) at 23:56 WIT. In the past week, Mount Ibu has erupted 11 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 is approximately 700 meters above the peak (2,025 meters above sea level).

The ash column was observed to be white to gray with moderate to thick intensity towards the northeast and east. The eruption was recorded on the seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 28 millimeters and a duration of 44 seconds.

(Read: 295 People Killed by Floods and Landslides in North Sumatra, Here's the Distribution (December 4, 2025))

According to the MAGMA Indonesia volcano activity report, Mount Ibu's activity level is at Level II (Alert). Earthquake observations on March 17, 2026 from 00:00-23:59 WIT showed 132 eruption/explosion earthquakes with amplitudes of 11-28 millimeters and durations of 35-77 seconds.

Additionally, there were 17 harmonic earthquakes with amplitudes of 2-20 millimeters and durations of 35-149 seconds, as well as 128 low-frequency earthquakes with amplitudes of 2-10 millimeters and durations of 17-29 seconds.

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

Throughout 2026, MAGMA Indonesia has recorded 1,072 volcanic eruptions across Indonesia. Mount Semeru in East Java has the most eruptions (578 times) while Mount Ibu has erupted 426 times.

(Read: Two Months of Floods in Sumatra, 1,204 People Killed and 140 Missing (Tuesday, January 27, 2026))