Strong explosion at Mount Dukono, Indonesia
A strong explosion took place at Indonesia’s Dukono volcano at 06:15 local time (LT) on December 7, 2024 (21:15 UTC, December 6), producing a tall ash column up to 6 km (20 000 feet) above sea level (a.s.l.).
Dukono eruption December 7, 2024. Credit: PVBGM
Volcanic ash produced by the eruption rose approximately 4 800 m (15 700 feet) above the peak and reached a total height of 6 km (20 000 feet) a.s.l.
According to the Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) released by Dukono Volcano Observatory at 21:15 UTC on December 6, the Aviation Color Code was raised to Red. The observatory noted that the actual eruption height might exceed what was directly observed.
The blackish-gray ash column drifted northwest during the eruption. The maximum amplitude of the eruption was recorded at 34 mm (1.33 inches), with a duration of approximately 576 seconds (9.6 minutes).
Today’s eruption is among the highest recorded at Dukono in recent years. The last comparable event occurred on November 14, 2022, when a discrete ash plume rose to approximately 10.7 km (35 000 feet) a.s.l.
Typically, Dukono’s ash plumes reach altitudes between 1.5 and 3.7 km (5 000 to 12 000 feet).
Dukono, a remote volcano located in the Halmahera Volcanic Arc of Indonesia, has been erupting continuously since 1933. Its activity is characterized by frequent ash explosions, sulfur dioxide emissions, and occasional eruptions reaching Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) 3.
A significant eruption in 1550 CE produced a lava flow that filled the strait between Halmahera and the northern flank of the Gunung Mamuya cone.
The volcano features a broad, low profile with multiple summit peaks and overlapping craters. The Malupang Wariang crater, located 1 km (0.6 miles) southwest of the summit, measures 700 by 570 m (2 300 x 1 870 feet) and has also been active in historical times.
The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) maintains the Alert Level at 2 (on a scale of 1-4), advising the public to stay outside a 3 km (1.8 miles) exclusion zone.
Read more:
References:
1 Gunung Api Dukono – PVMBG – December 7, 2024
2 Dukono geological summary – GVP – Accessed December 7, 2024
Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.
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