The extrusive activity at the volcano continues at generally heightened levels.
Andi, our expedition guide and leader for VolcanoDiscovery Indonesia, is currently observing the volcano’s behavior to provide first-hand information from the site during these days.
A number of incandescent rockfalls, emanating from the southwestern lava dome, has been intensifying over the last night. Moreover, glowing lava blocks frequently detach from the viscous lava flow front, generating small avalanches as it descended the slope.
At around 15:56 local time yesterday, a large hot avalanche, known as pyroclastic flow, descended from the active lava dome at the summit crater. It traveled through the southwestern Kali Bebeng ravine and reached a distance of estimated 1.8 km distance from the summit. It also produced massive grey ash-abundant plumes, so-called phoenix clouds, separating from the block-and-ash flow.
The extremely dangerous, fast-moving turbulent flow consists of a mixture of hot rock fragments of the lava dome, volcanic gasses and ambient air.
Pyroclastic flows are typically formed when the accumulated lava masses at the summit crater, known as the lava dome, become too large and suffer smaller or larger gravitational collapse, which then turn into fast and deadly avalanches as they destroy and burn everything in their path.
A visible glow and near-constant low emissions of gas suggest the continuing rise of fresh viscous magma accumulating into lava domes. Unstable hot lava material is pilling up there and making lava domes prone to collapse into hot rock falls or even very dangerous pyroclastic flows, as happened on 21 January.
The alert status remains at Level 3 since 5 November 2020.
The public is being warned to stay at least 3 km away from the summit.
