Mount Semeru Erupts Monday Morning, Status Raised to Alert

Mount Semeru in East Java erupted again on Monday, March 4, 2024, at 7:18 AM WIB. This marks the second eruption in the past week.

According to information from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia application, the ash plume reached approximately 800 meters above the summit, or 4,476 meters above sea level.

The ash plume was observed to be white to gray, with thick intensity towards the west and northwest. The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 23 millimeters and a duration of 117 seconds.

According to the MAGMA Indonesia volcano activity report, Mount Semeru's alert level remains at Level III (Siaga) or Alert. Observations from March 4, 2024, between 00:00 and 06:00 AM WIB, showed 18 eruption quakes with amplitudes of 10-22 millimeters and durations of 68-152 seconds.

Additionally, there was 1 rockfall event with an amplitude of 3 mm and a duration of 69 seconds, and 4 ash emission events with amplitudes of 4-8 millimeters and durations of 50-55 seconds.

PVMBG advises against any activity in the southeast sector along the Besuk Kobokan river, within a 13-kilometer radius of the summit (eruption center). Outside this radius, people should avoid areas within 500 meters of the riverbanks along the Besuk Kobokan river due to the potential for pyroclastic flows and lahars extending up to 17 kilometers from the summit.

In 2024, MAGMA Indonesia has recorded 352 volcanic eruptions across Indonesia. Mount Marapi in West Sumatra experienced the most eruptions (112), while Mount Semeru has erupted 95 times.