Anak Krakatau volcano erupts 18 times triggering fear of tsunami

Antara 27 Nov 18;

Bandarlampung, Lampung (ANTARA News) - The Anak Krakatau volcano in the Sunda Strait between Java and southern end of Sumatra erupted 18 times on Monday until Tuesday morning, spewing volcanic material soaring as high as 600 meters.

The frequent eruptions lately of Anak Krakatau caused fear of a repeat of 1883 devastation when Krakatau volcano erupted followed with big tsunami.

The eruption of Mount Krakatau and the tsunami in 1883 was one of the most devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami in history.

The 230 meters Anak Krakatau (son of Krakatau) is what was left of the old Krakatau volcano after its explosion that caused the loss of around 36,000 lives in Sumatra and Java that year.

The Meteorology, and Geophysics office said here on Tuesday the activities of the volcano was categorized level II that tourists are not allowed to come closer than 2 kilometers from the volcano peak.

Reporting by Budisantoso Budiman, A Saragih
Editing by Suharto
Editor: Yosep Hariyadi

Volcanology center advises 3 km safe distance from erupting Mt. Merapi
Bambang Muryanto The Jakarta Post 27 Nov 18;

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM) has advised residents and visitors to stay away from Mount Merapi in Magelang, Central Java, following increased volcanic activity.

Since Aug. 11, steadily flowing viscous lava from the volcano – or effusive eruption – has created a lava dome on top of the mountain. The dome continues to grow daily as Mt. Merapi extrudes around 3,000 cubic meters of lava per day.

CVGHM head Kasbani said the growing dome could collapse at some point and spew hot clouds of volcanic gases as well as lava. Residents and visitors were thus advised to stay at a safe distance of at least 3 kilometers around the volcano.

“The lava dome, however, is still in a stable condition at present. Therefore, we will maintain the waspada [alert] status for now,” Kasbani said on Monday, referring to the second of the four-level national volcano alert system.

Separately, Agus Budi Santoso, the head of the Merapi Monitoring Post and the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG), said that the extrusion of hot clouds of gas from the dome could become a possibility if the lava flow increased to 600,000 cubic meters per day. (vny/swd)