Karangetang volcano (Api Siau Island, northern Indonesia): ongoing intense activity, constant incandescent avalanches tumble down along W and E slopes, field report

Frequent glowing rockfalls from the flows shed down to the base of the volcano (image: Andi Volcanist/VolcanoDiscovery Indonesia)

Frequent glowing rockfalls from the flows shed down to the base of the volcano (image: Andi Volcanist/VolcanoDiscovery Indonesia)

Field observations of the volcano’s current activity from our expedition leader and guide from VolcanoDiscovery Indonesia, Andi Volcanist, brought us news and images.

Andi has spent the past three nights at the eruption site to monitor the situation, but every now and then visibility of the effusive phase was very limited due to dense clouds and rainfall. Luckily, the local weather got better last night to observe the volcano’s behavior.
Magma continues to accumulate into the lava dome, ooze out from there (being erupted as lava from here) and travel over the western and eastern slope at about 1 – 1.5 km distance from the summit. Collapsing parts of the flows have generated glowing rockfalls, of which several ones extend to the base of the edifice.
The Volcanic Alert Level remains at Level 3 (Siaga).

People are advised to avoid an area of the main crater within a 2,5 km radius and the south-southeast sector within a 3,5 km radius.

A satellite image of Karangetang portrays a lava flow emanating from the lava dome (image: Sentinel-2, true color + IR highlights composite)

A satellite image of Karangetang portrays a lava flow emanating from the lava dome (image: Sentinel-2, true color + IR highlights composite)