Mount Semeru Erupts Friday Morning, Status Remains on Alert

Mount Semeru in East Java erupted again on Friday, October 11, 2024, at 7:25 AM WIB (Western Indonesian Time). In the last week, Mount Semeru has erupted 27 times.

According to eruption information from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia application, the height of the ash column was observed to be approximately 400 meters above the peak (4,076 meters above sea level).

The ash column was observed to be white to gray with moderate intensity towards the south. The eruption of Mount Semeru was still ongoing at the time of this report.

According to the MAGMA Indonesia volcano activity report, Mount Semeru's activity level is at Level II (Alert). Seismic observations on October 11, 2024, from 00:00 to 23:59 WIB, showed 64 eruption quakes with amplitudes of 10-23 millimeters and durations of 57-179 seconds.

Furthermore, there were 4 guguran (rockfall) quakes with amplitudes of 4-6 mm and durations of 42-61 seconds, and 16 emission quakes with amplitudes of 3-8 millimeters and durations of 27-91 seconds.

The PVMBG advises against any activity in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan, up to 13 kilometers from the peak (eruption center). Outside this distance, people should not engage in activities within 500 meters of the riverbank (river buffer zone) along Besuk Kobokan due to the potential for pyroclastic flow and lahar flows extending up to 17 kilometers from the peak.

During 2024, MAGMA Indonesia recorded 4,403 volcanic eruptions/eruptions throughout Indonesia. Mount Ibu in North Maluku had the most eruptions (1,820 eruptions), while Mount Semeru erupted 1,463 times.