Indonesian Geological Agency Raises Mount Lewotobi to Alert Status

4 hours ago 8

February 13, 2025 | 10:10 am

A truck is seen carrying people during the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in Konga Village, Titehena District, East Flores Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, December 7, 2024. As a result of the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, 5,547 residents of four villages were evacuated and four of them were killed. ANTARA/Mega Tokan

TEMPO.CO, Bandung - Indonesian Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has raised the activity status of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki. "Based on the results of a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of visual and instrumental monitoring, it shows that visual and seismic activity on Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki has increased, so that the activity level of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki has been set to increase from level III (Alert) to IV (Warning) at 03.00 WITA," said Head of the Geological Agency Muhammad Wafid in his statement, Thursday, February 13, 2025.

With the Warning status, the Geological Agency recommends that there be no human activity within a radius of 6 kilometers from the center of the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki and sectorally to the southwest-northeast as far as 7 kilometers from the center of the eruption of the mountain.

Residents living around the mountain are also asked to be aware of the potential for rain-induced lava floods in rivers that originate at the peak of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki if there is high-intensity rain, especially in the areas of Dulipali, Padang Pasir, Nobo, Klatanlo, Hokeng Jaya, Boru, and Nawakote.

"People affected by the ash rain of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki wear masks/nose-mouth covers to avoid the dangers of volcanic ash on the respiratory system," said Wafid.

Visual observations of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki carried out by the Geological Agency in the period from January 3, 2025 to January 13, 2025 found an average eruption column height of 500-800 meters from the peak of the mountain, and faint firelight was seen at the peak of the mountain indicating that there was lava being pushed to the surface so that it could be observed at night in the form of a red glow in the peak area.

Instrumental monitoring also found a tendency for an increase in gust earthquakes indicating an increase in pressure from within the body of the mountain.

Wafid said that in the northwest area around the peak of the mountain there is a crack that emits crater smoke or solfara. Crater smoke is also visible on the northeast side. "The presence of crater smoke (solfatara) is caused by an alteration zone (weak zone), so that solfatara smoke is visible coming out of the area. The area has the potential for a directed blast (direct eruption in one direction) which can occur to the northwest-northeast of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki," he said.

The Geological Agency noted that the eruption earthquakes that were monitored fluctuated indicating that there was still a supply of magma and could potentially become an eruption. A number of earthquakes that were monitored also increased.

Increasing harmonic earthquakes indicate fluid movement or gas release from magma that fills the cracks. Increasing low-frequency earthquakes indicate the flow of magma fluid rising to the surface. Meanwhile, increasing shallow volcanic earthquakes indicate an increase in the intensity of magma activity in the magma pocket of the mountain.

Meanwhile, local tectonic and distant tectonic earthquakes are also being monitored by the Geological Agency. The monitoring results found that the number of local tectonic earthquakes was still stable and distant tectonic earthquakes were seen to be decreasing.

"Local tectonic earthquakes and distant tectonic earthquakes around Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki affect the activity of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki so it is necessary to be aware if there is a sudden increase in the number of these two types of tectonic earthquakes, especially local tectonic earthquakes that will affect the height of the eruption or activity of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki," said Wafid.

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