JAKARTA, April 3 — Mount Semeru, located on the border of Lumajang and Malang regencies in East Java, erupted four times early today, with ash columns reaching up to 1,200m above the summit.
ANTARA News Agency reported Semeru Volcano Observation Post officer Sigit Rian Alfian as saying that the first eruption occurred at 12.32am local time (WIB), although no visual observation of the ash column was recorded.
“The activity was detected by a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22mm and a duration of 155 seconds,” he said.
Sigit added that the second eruption was recorded at 4.02am, with an ash column rising about 1,000m above the summit, or 4,676m above sea level.
“The ash plume was observed to be white to grey in colour, drifting westward with thick intensity. Seismic activity showed a maximum amplitude of 23mm and lasted 174 seconds,” he said.
Semeru, the highest mountain on Java Island, erupted again at 4.20am, sending an ash column up to 1,200m above the summit (4,876m above sea level).
"The ash plume, also white to grey, drifted towards the southwest and west, with recorded seismic amplitude of 23 mm and a duration of 169 seconds,” Sigit said.
A fourth eruption occurred at 5.47am, producing a similar ash column height of about 1,200m above the summit. The ash drifted westward, with seismic recordings showing a maximum amplitude of 23mm and a duration of 179 seconds.
He said Semeru remains at Level III (Alert) on the volcanic activity scale.
