2017–2019 eruptions of Mount Agung | |
---|---|
Volcano | Mount Agung |
Start date | 21 November 2017 [1] |
End date | 12 June 2019 [1] |
Type | Vulcanian/Sub-plinian |
Location | Bali, Indonesia 8°20′35″S115°30′25″E / 8.34306°S 115.50694°E |
VEI | 3 [1] |
Mount Agung, a volcano on the island of Bali in Indonesia, erupted five times in late November 2017, causing thousands to evacuate, disrupting air travel and causing environmental damage. As of 27 November 2017, the alert level was at its highest and evacuation orders were in place.
Tectonic earthquakes from the volcano had been detected since early August 2017, and volcanic activity intensified for several weeks before decreasing significantly in late October. A second, more violent period of major activity began in late November. Agung has since had eruptions in January, June, July and December 2018 and January, February, March, April, May and June 2019.
Agung erupted in 1843 [2] as reported by Heinrich Zollinger:
After having been dormant for a long time, this year the mountain began to be alive again. In the first days of the activity, earthquake shocks were felt followed by the emission of ash, sand and stones. [3]
Mount Agung's 1963 eruption was among the most catastrophic volcanic events in Indonesian history. After initial explosions in the crater on 18 February of that year, lava began flowing down the mountain on 24 February, eventually travelling 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) over the next three weeks. On 17 March, a highly explosive eruption occurred, reaching a VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) of 5 and sending lethal pyroclastic flows at high speeds down the mountain's slopes, killing at least 1,500 people. [4] Heavy rainfall mixed with ash from the eruption in the following days caused extensive lahars which killed about 200 more people. A smaller eruption occurred on 16 May, sending pyroclastic flows down the mountain once more, killing about 200 more people. [4] [5] By the time the eruptions ceased in early 1964, they had claimed about 1,900 lives, marking the event as the 8th deadliest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.
Since 1963, the population of Bali has nearly doubled. [6] Mount Agung is therefore considered highly dangerous by Indonesian authorities. This concern was the primary reason behind their decision to evacuate more than 100,000 people in response to the surge in local tectonic activity in the latter half of 2017. [5]
Volcanic earthquakes were observed from 10 August 2017 [7] and the intensity increased in the following weeks.
On 30 September 2017, an increase of rumbling and seismic activity around the volcano made people raise the alert to the highest level and about 122,500 people were evacuated from their homes around the volcano. [8] The Indonesian National Disaster Management Authority declared a 12-kilometre (7.5 mi) exclusion zone around the volcano on 24 September. [9] A plume was observed on 13 September. [7]
Evacuees gathered in sports halls and other community buildings around Klungkung, Karangasem, Buleleng, and other areas. [10] The monitoring station is in Tembuku, Rendang, Karangasem Regency, where intensity and frequency of tremors were monitored for signs of the imminent large eruption. [11]
The area experienced 844 volcanic earthquakes on 25 September, and 300 to 400 earthquakes by midday on 26 September. Seismologists have been alarmed at the force and frequency of the incidents as it has taken much less for similar volcanoes to erupt. [12] [13]
In late October 2017, the activity of the volcano decreased significantly, leading to lowering of the alert status on 29 October. [14]
The alert level remained at 3 (out of 4) until the start of the second major activity period, and plumes were observed during this time. [15] [16]
A small phreatic eruption was reported at 09:05 on 21 November (UTC), with the top of the ash cloud reaching 3,842 metres (12,605 ft) above sea level. [17] Thousands of people immediately fled the area, [18] and over 29,000 temporary refugees were housed in over 270 locations nearby. [19]
A magmatic eruption began early on Saturday morning, 25 November. [20] The eruption plume rose 1.5–4 kilometres (4,900–13,100 ft; 1,500–4,000 m) above the summit crater, drifting towards the south [20] and dusting the surroundings with a thin layer of dark ash, leading some airlines to cancel flights bound for Australia [20] and New Zealand. An orange glow was later observed around the crater at night, confirming that fresh magma had reached the surface. [21] [22]
At 23:37 on 26 November (UTC), another eruption occurred. Ngurah Rai International Airport was closed next day, [23] leaving many tourists stranded. [24] More than 100,000 people in a 10-kilometre (6.2 mi) radius of the volcano were ordered to evacuate. [25]
Sunday 26 November's eruption continued at a constant rate, [26] and lahars were reported in the Selat district south of the volcano. [24] The Australian Government's Bureau of Meteorology reported that the top of the eruption column had reached an altitude of 9,144 metres (30,000 ft). [27] Ash continued to spread in a southeasterly direction, and estimates by the Pacific Disaster Center predicted that the resulting atmospheric ash exposure would affect up to 5.6 million people within the densely populated region surrounding the volcano. [26]
Reductions in eruption intensity and wind dispersal of the ash cloud led authorities to reopen Ngurah Rai International Airport at 07:00 (UTC). [28] [29] Authorities also warned that the eruption volume could increase again at any time, potentially shutting down air traffic once more. [29]
The volcano erupted once again on 11 January, sending plumes of smoke and ash, while Indonesia's Bali international airport was declared safe, operating normally. [30] The eruption column was reported to rise `2.5 kilometres (8,200 ft; 2,500 m) above the mountain.
Agung erupted on 12 June, sending plumes of smoke and ash some 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above the volcano's summit. [31] No flights were affected from the event.
On 28 June, water vapour and volcanic ash emission were detected from Mount Agung up to two kilometres (6,600 ft; 2,000 m) into the air. The Ngurah Rai Airport was closed due to the event. [32] [33]
Agung erupted again 3 July due to a minor strombolian explosion. 700 people living near the crater were evacuated. No flights were affected. [34]
On the morning of 30 December, the volcano sent ash skywards as it erupted for about three minutes, spewing white clouds of smoke and ash more than 700 metres (2,300 ft) into the air. [35] Several villages in Bali were covered in a thin layer of ash, but no smoke or lava was detected coming from the volcano and no evacuation has been ordered. [35]
Agung erupted on 10 January, producing columns of volcanic ash. The summit of the volcano was covered by thick haze during eruption and thus the height of the ash could not be seen. [36]
On 22 February, volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 14,000 feet (4,300 m) altitude or flight level 140
Explosive activity continues on 8 March or the day after Nyepi, with a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 12,000 feet (3,700 m) altitude or flight level 120 and is moving at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) in south east direction. [37]
Mt. Agung erupted again on 28 March. [38] Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport operated normally despite the eruption, as the airspace above the airport was declared clear of volcanic ash based on a paper test.
A 2,000-metre-high (6,600 ft) high column of ash erupted out of Agung on 3 April 2019. [39] The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) maintained the volcano's alert level at "stay on alert", the third level of the four-tiered alert system. The center also set the danger zone at a 4-kilometre (2.5 mi) radius from the crater.
In late May 2019 an eruption spewed lava and rocks over about 3 kilometres (9,800 ft; 3,000 m), with some ash fall on nearby villages and temporarily interrupting international flights. [40]
Another explosion occurred at the volcano at 13 June 2019, 01:38 local time. A Vulcanian eruption ejected much incandescent material to distances of at least 700 metres (2,300 ft) from the crater and generated an ash plume that rose to 30,000 feet (9,100 m) altitude and drifting south over Denpasar.
According to PVMBG, the eruption lasted almost 10 minutes, marking it one of the longest in the recent series of such Vulcanian explosions. A small earthquake swarm and slight inflation on 12 June 2019 preceded the eruption. [41] [42]
The 2017 eruption caused some 40,000 people to be evacuated from 22 villages around Mount Agung. It also caused surrounding airports to be closed. Lombok International Airport, on the neighboring island of Lombok, closed on 26 November, but was reopened the next morning, [43] only to be closed again on 30 November. [44] Lombok's airport reopened on 1 December. Ngurah Rai International Airport, located at the southern tip of the island and southwest of the volcano, closed on 27 November. [45] More than 450 flights were canceled and about 75,000 passengers were affected. [46] The airport was reopened on 29 November. This eruption also caused a decline in tourism on Bali by about 30%.
Klyuchevskaya Sopka is a stratovolcano, the highest mountain of Siberia and the highest active volcano of Eurasia. Its steep, symmetrical cone towers about 100 kilometres (60 mi) from the Bering Sea. The volcano is part of the natural Volcanoes of Kamchatka UNESCO World Heritage Site. Klyuchevskaya Sopka is ranked 15th in the world by topographic isolation.
Popocatépetl is an active stratovolcano located in the states of Puebla, Morelos, and Mexico in central Mexico. It lies in the eastern half of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. At 5,393 m (17,694 ft) it is the second highest peak in Mexico, after Citlaltépetl at 5,636 m (18,491 ft).
Mayon, also known as Mount Mayon and Mayon Volcano, is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay in Bicol, Philippines. A popular tourist spot, it is renowned for its "perfect cone" because of its symmetric conical shape, and is regarded as sacred in Philippine mythology.
The Bromo, or Mount Bromo is an active somma volcano, a Hindu pilgrimage site, and part of the Tengger mountains, in East Java, Indonesia. At 2,329 meters (7,641 ft) it is not the highest peak of the massif, but is the most active and famous. The area is one of the most visited tourist destinations in East Java, and the volcano is included in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The name Bromo comes from the Javanese pronunciation of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. At the mouth of the crater, there is an idol of Ganesha, the Hindu god of wisdom which is being worshipped by the Javanese Hindus. Mount Bromo is located in the middle of a plain called "Sea of Sand", a nature reserve that has been protected since 1919.
The Volcán de Colima, 3,820 m (12,530 ft), also known as Volcán de Fuego, is part of the Colima Volcanic Complex (CVC) consisting of Volcán de Colima, Nevado de Colima and the eroded El Cántaro. It is the youngest of the three and as of 2015 is one of the most active volcanoes in Mexico and in North America. It has erupted more than 40 times since 1576. One of the largest eruptions was on January 20–24, 1913. Nevado de Colima, also known as Tzapotépetl, lies 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of its more active neighbor and is the taller of the two at 4,271 meters. It is the 26th-most prominent peak in North America.
Sakurajima is an active stratovolcano, formerly an island and now a peninsula, in Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. The lava flows of the 1914 eruption connected it with the Ōsumi Peninsula. It is the most active volcano in Japan.
Mount Merapi is an active stratovolcano located on the border between the province of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548. It is located approximately 28 km (17 mi) north of Yogyakarta city which has a population of 2.4 million. Thousands of people live on the flanks of the volcano, with villages as high as 1,700 m (5,577 ft) above sea level.
Mount Agung is an active volcano in Karangasem Regency, Bali, Indonesia. It is located southeast of Mount Batur volcano, also in Bali. It is the highest point on Bali, and dominates the surrounding area, influencing the climate, especially rainfall patterns. From a distance, the mountain appears to be perfectly conical. From the peak of the mountain, it is possible to see the peak of Mount Rinjani on the nearby island of Lombok, to the east, although both mountains are frequently covered in clouds. Agung is a stratovolcano, with a large and deep crater. Its most recent eruptions occurred from 2017–2019.
Mount Rinjani is an active volcano in Indonesia on the island of Lombok. Administratively the mountain is in the Regency of North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. It rises to 3,726 metres (12,224 ft), making it the second highest volcano in Indonesia. It is also the highest point in the Indonesian province of West Nusa Tenggara. Adjacent to the volcano is a 6-by-8.5-kilometre caldera, which is filled partially by the crater lake known as Segara Anak or Anak Laut, due to the color of its water, as blue as the sea (laut). This lake is approximately 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level and estimated to be about 200 metres (660 ft) deep; the caldera also contains hot springs. The lake and mountain are sacred to the Sasak people and Hindus, and are the site of religious rituals. UNESCO made Mount Rinjani Caldera a part of the Global Geoparks Network in April 2018.
Paluweh, also known as Rokatenda, is a stratovolcano that forms the small island of Palu'e, north of Flores Island in Sikka Regency in the province of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. While the volcano rises about 3,000 m (9,840 ft) above the sea floor, its cone rises just 875 metres (2,871 ft) above sea level and is the highest point on the island.
The Kelud is a mountain stratovolcano located in Kediri, East Java, Indonesia. Like many Indonesian volcanoes and others on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Kelud is known for large explosive eruptions throughout its history. More than 30 eruptions have occurred since 1000 AD. In 2007, an effusive explosion filled the crater with a lava dome. It last erupted on 13 February 2014, destroying the lava dome and ejecting boulders, stones and ashes up to West Java about 500 kilometres (310 mi) from Mount Kelud. The crater filled with water during the rainy season.
Ulawun is a basaltic and andesitic stratovolcano in West New Britain Province, on the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea.
Anak Krakatau is a volcanic island in Indonesia. On 29 December 1927, Anak Krakatau first emerged from the caldera formed in 1883 by the explosive volcanic eruption that destroyed the island of Krakatoa. There has been sporadic eruptive activity at the site since the late 20th century, culminating in a large underwater collapse of the volcano, which caused a deadly tsunami in December 2018. There has been subsequent activity since. Owing to its young age the island is one of several in the area that are of interest to, and the subject of extensive study by volcanologists.
Turrialba Volcano is an active volcano in central Costa Rica that has been explosively eruptive in recent years including 2016 and in January, March and April 2017. Visitors used to be able to hike down into the main crater, but increased volcanic activity in 2014–17, resulting in large clouds of volcanic ash, led to the closure of the surrounding Turrialba Volcano National Park. However, with the eruptions subsiding, the park and access to the volcano reopened on December 4, 2020.
The Marapi, or Mount Marapi, is a complex volcano in West Sumatra, Indonesia, and is the most active volcano in Sumatra. Like that of its quasi-homonym on Java, its name means "Mountain of Fire". Its elevation is 2,885 metres (9,465.2 ft). Several cities and towns are situated around the mountain including Bukittinggi, Padang Panjang, and Batusangkar. The volcano is also popular among hikers.
Mount Bulusan, also known as Bulusan Volcano, is a stratovolcano on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Located in the province of Sorsogon in the Bicol Region, it is 70 kilometres (43 mi) southeast of Mayon Volcano and approximately 390 kilometres (240 mi) southeast of Manila. Bulusan is one of the active volcanoes in the Philippines.
Kanlaon, also known as Mount Kanlaon and Kanlaon Volcano, is an active andesitic stratovolcano and the highest mountain on the island of Negros in the Philippines, as well as the highest peak in the Visayas, with an elevation of 2,465 m (8,087 ft) above sea level. Mount Kanlaon ranks as the 42nd-highest peak of an island in the world.
Mount Sinabung is a Pleistocene-to-Holocene stratovolcano of andesite and dacite in the Karo plateau of Karo Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia, 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the Lake Toba supervolcano. Many old lava flows are on its flanks and the last known eruption, before recent times, occurred 1200 years before present, between 740 - 880 CE. Solfataric activities were last observed at the summit in 1912; recent documented events include an eruption in the early hours of 29 August 2010 and eruptions in September and November 2013, January, February and October 2014. The volcano has recently claimed the life of at least 23 people in a number of events since 2014. Between 2013 and 2014, the alert for a major event was increased with no significant activity. On 2 June 2015, the alert was again increased, and on 26 June 2015, at least 10,000 people were evacuated, fearing a major eruption. The long eruption of Mount Sinabung is similar to that of Mount Unzen in Japan, which erupted for five years after lying dormant for 400 years. A major eruption began on 10 August 2020.
Ruang is the southernmost stratovolcano in the Sangihe Islands arc, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. It comprises an island 4 by 5 kilometres wide. The summit contains a partial lava dome and reaches some 725 metres (2,379 ft) in altitude. From its summit, Klabat's peak in the south, that of Siau to the north, and Ternate to the east can all be seen.
In late October 2010, Mount Merapi in border of Central Java and Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia began an increasingly violent series of eruptions that continued into November. Seismic activity around the volcano increased from mid-September onwards, culminating in repeated outbursts of lava and volcanic ash. Large eruption columns formed, causing numerous pyroclastic flows down the heavily populated slopes of the volcano. The 2010 eruption of Merapi was the volcano's largest since 1872.