Warning! Mount Ibu Erupts Again Tonight (Saturday, May 18, 2024)

Mount Ibu in North Maluku erupted again on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at 8:08 PM WIT. In the last week, Mount Ibu has erupted 12 times.

Based on eruption information from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia application, the ash column height was observed to be approximately 4,000 meters above the peak (5,325 meters above sea level).

The ash column was observed to be gray with thick intensity towards the west and northwest. The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 28 millimeters and a duration of 552 seconds.

According to the MAGMA Indonesia volcano activity report, Mount Ibu's activity level is at Level IV (Alert). Seismic observations on May 18, 2024, from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM WIT showed 55 times of puffing tremors with amplitudes of 2-28 millimeters and durations of 15-50 seconds.

Furthermore, there were 159 shallow volcanic earthquakes with amplitudes of 2-20 millimeters and durations of 4-14 seconds, and 5 deep volcanic earthquakes with amplitudes of 6-25 millimeters, s-p 0.5-3 seconds, and durations of 4-17 seconds.

PVMBG urges the public around Mount Ibu and visitors/tourists not to engage in activities within a 4-kilometer radius and a sectoral extension of 7 kilometers towards the crater opening in the northern part of Mount Ibu's active crater.

During 2024, MAGMA Indonesia has recorded 722 volcanic eruptions/eruptions throughout Indonesia. Mount Semeru in East Java had the most eruptions (264 times), while Mount Ibu erupted 89 times.