Eruptive activity at Indonesia’s Ibu volcano in North Maluku province intensified over the past couple of days, leading to a strong eruption at around 00:12 UTC on May 13, 2024, with a thick column of ash rising up to 6.4 km (21 000 feet) above sea level.
Heavy monsoon rains falling over Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Saturday, May 11, 2024, caused a destructive lahar to descend the slopes of Marapi volcano, killing 37 people and leaving at least 17 others missing.
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 hit Seram, Indonesia at 18:33 UTC on May 5, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 12.1 km (7.5 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
On May 5, 2024, Indonesia’s volcanology agency, PVMGB, released aerial footage of the Ruang volcano following a series of powerful eruptions that have dramatically reshaped the landscape and forced nearly 10 000 people to evacuate permanently.
The Indonesian government has decided to permanently relocate 9 800 people living within 7 km (4.3 miles) of Ruang volcano, North Sulawesi, following a series of significant volcanic eruptions that began on April 16, 2024.
Another high-level eruption started at Indonesia’s Ruang volcano at 18:15 UTC on April 29, 2024 (01:15 LT, April 30), producing an ash column to an estimated height of about 19.2 km (63 000 feet) above sea level. Authorities raised the Alert Level to 4 and the Aviation Color Code to Red. This powerful eruption comes just 2 weeks after a similar eruption on April 16.
A strong earthquake registered by the BMKG as M6.2 hit near the coast of Java, Indonesia at 16:29 UTC on April 27, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 73 km (45 miles). USGS and EMSC are reporting M6.1 at a depth of 68 km (42 miles).
Increased seismic activity and inflation detected at Awu Volcano prompted Indonesian authorities to elevate the alert level from 2 to 3 on April 16, 2024. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has advised the public to maintain a distance of at least 5 km (3.1 miles) from the crater due to potential explosive eruptions. The last eruption at this volcano took place in 2004 (VEI 2).
Indonesia’s Ruang volcano in North Sulawesi experienced several violent eruptions on April 16 and 17, 2024, forcing authorities to raise the Alert Level to 4 of 4 and warn nearby residents there is a potential of a tsunami if parts of the volcano collapse into the sea, similarly to what happened in 1871. The last eruptive episode at this volcano was in September 2002 (VEI 4).
A series of powerful eruptions took place at Ruang volcano in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province starting at 17:08 UTC on April 16, 2024 (01:08 LT, April 17). As a result, the Aviation Color Code was raised to Red, the Alert Level to 3 of 4, and local authorities started evacuating more than 800 people living on the island as a preventive measure. The last eruptive episode at this volcano was in September 2002 (VEI 4).
