Intense phreatic eruption at Dempo volcano, South Sumatra, Indonesia

The eruption originated from the summit crater, emitting dense jets of light to dark gray ash and rocks mixed with white steam.

The ash plume rose 0.2 km (640 feet) above the summit, reaching an altitude of approximately 3.4 km (10 800 feet) above sea level (a.s.l.) before drifting north. The intensity of the volcanic ash was described as medium to thick.

Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG), the local volcano observatory in Indonesia, recorded the seismic signal of the eruption, which had a maximum amplitude of 30 mm (1.18 inches) and a duration of 240 seconds.

The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) in Darwin issued an advisory warning of a volcanic ash plume reaching 3.7 km (12 000 feet) a.s.l. The ash cloud was observed moving northeast at approximately 18 km/h (11 mph).

The Aviation Color Code for the volcano was raised to Orange signaling a potential threat to aviation.

The eruption did not result in any damage or injuries.

Dempo volcano is a stratovolcano rising 3.1 km (1.9 miles) a.s.l. and is situated in the Sunda Volcanic Arc. This andesitic volcano has 2 main peaks, Gunung Dempo and Gunung Marapi, located near the southeast rim of a 3 km (1.8 miles) wide amphitheater that opens to the north.

The active crater which is 0.7 km (0.4 miles) wide and 1.1 km (0.7 miles) long contains a lake at its northwest end. Recent eruptions at Dempo include a (Volcanic Explosivity Index) VEI 2 event in July 2023 and a VEI 1 event in May 2024.

The surrounding region, home to approximately 2.3 million people within a 100 km (62 miles) radius remains under observation. Local authorities have advised against approaching the volcano’s summit or camping within 1 km (0.62 miles) of the crater.

This was the first eruption at Dempo since May 2024.

References:

¹ Dempo volcano update – PVMBG – November 23, 2024

² Dempo volcano VONA – Dempo Volcano Observatory – November 23, 2024

³ Dempo – GVP – Accessed on November 25, 2024

Rishika Yadav

Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.

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