Mount Lewotobi Erupts Again in Early 2024, Now on High Alert

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, erupted again on Monday (1/1/2024) after emitting continuous crater smoke for the past week.

Based on visual and instrumental monitoring by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), the activity level of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki was raised from Level II (Alert) to Level III (Standby), effective January 1, 2024, at 04:00 WITA.

This status determination is based on visual observations from December 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, which showed a significant increase in volcanic activity, with plumes of smoke observed reaching heights of 300-800 meters from the central crater and from fissures located northwest of the peak.

According to PVMBG, the emergence of a new fissure in the northeast direction on January 1, 2024, indicates that the crater smoke emissions are expanding, thus increasing the threat level.

Based on seismic observations from 06:00 to 12:00 WIB on Wednesday (3/1/2024), there were three pyroclastic flow quakes with amplitudes of 10.5-14.8 millimeters (mm) and durations of 14-56 seconds. There was also one shallow volcanic earthquake and one deep volcanic earthquake each.

In addition, one distant tectonic earthquake with an amplitude of 7.4 mm and a duration of 98 seconds was recorded. There was also one continuous tremor with an amplitude of 2.9-3.7 mm.

PVMBG advises that communities around Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki and visitors/tourists should limit their activities (avoid prolonged stays) and not spend the night in the active crater area, and should not approach gas vents around the crater to avoid the potential danger of toxic gases.

Besides Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, three other active volcanoes in Indonesia are at Level III (Standby), meaning they could erupt.

These three volcanoes are Mount Anak Krakatau in Lampung, Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta and Central Java, and Mount Semeru in East Java.

Furthermore, 20 active volcanoes in Indonesia are at Level II (Alert), including Mount Awu in North Sulawesi and Mount Dukono in North Maluku, which reportedly erupted this morning (3/1/2024).

Then, 44 active volcanoes in Indonesia are at Level I (Normal). These include Mount Agung in Bali, Mount Ciremai in West Java, and Mount Wurlali in Maluku.

However, according to PVMBG, currently no volcanoes in Indonesia are at Level IV (Warning).

In total, there are 127 active volcanoes in Indonesia today (approximately 13% of the world's volcanoes). However, only 68 active volcanoes are monitored by PVMBG.