Warning! Mount Marapi Erupts Again This Morning (Sunday, January 18, 2026)

Mount Marapi in West Sumatra erupted again on Sunday (18/1/2026) at 10:51 AM WIB. In the last week, Mount Marapi has erupted 3 times.

Based on eruption information from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia application, the height of the observed ash column was approximately 300 meters above the peak or 3,191 meters above sea level.

The ash column was observed to be white to grey with moderate to thick intensity towards the north and northeast. The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 7 millimeters and a duration of 145 seconds.

(Read: Area of Rice Fields, Land, and Gardens in Indonesia Damaged by Floods 2020-2024)

According to the MAGMA Indonesia volcano activity report, the activity level of Mount Marapi is at Level II (Alert). Seismicity observations on January 18, 2026, from 00:00-23:59 WIB, showed 1 shallow volcanic earthquake with an amplitude of 1 millimeter and a duration of 14 seconds.

Additionally, there were 3 local tectonic earthquakes with amplitudes of 2-13.4 millimeters, s-p of 2.6-4.6 seconds, and durations of 23-25 seconds, as well as 2 distant tectonic earthquakes with amplitudes of 1.6-13.1 millimeters, s-p of 14.7 seconds, and durations of 82-100 seconds.

PVMBG urges communities around Mount Marapi and hikers/visitors/tourists not to enter or conduct activities within a 3-kilometer radius from the center of activity (Verbeek Crater) of Mount Marapi.

Throughout 2026, MAGMA Indonesia has recorded 253 volcanic eruptions across Indonesia. Mount Semeru in East Java had the most eruptions (141 times), while Mount Marapi erupted 6 times.

(Read: Distribution of Fatalities Due to Floods and Landslides in Aceh (December 9, 2025))