JAKARTA: Two small island-like landforms have appeared near Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait after about 25 hours of continuous eruptions earlier this month, with satellite imagery also showing the volcano itself has grown by nearly 33 hectares.
Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) head Siti Sumilah Rita Susilawati said Sentinel satellite imagery showed the two landforms northwest and southeast of Anak Krakatau, which were believed to be linked to continuous eruptive activity from Sept 4 to 6.
"Our preliminary interpretation is that fluid magma released during the continuous eruption reached the surface through an opening extending from northwest to southeast, causing eruptive material to form land at other locations that appeared as two island-like mounds,” she said in a statement on Friday.
Siti Sumilah cautioned that the assessment remained preliminary, saying the agency would compare satellite imagery ‘before and after’ the eruptions and conduct on-site verification.
Apart from the two formations, the satellite imagery also showed Anak Krakatau itself had gained about 32.8 hectares of land in its northwest, west and southwest sectors due to deposits of pyroclastic material and lava flows from the same eruptions, she said.
Anak Krakatau’s alert status was lowered on Sept 21 from Level III, the second-highest level in Indonesia's four-tier volcano alert system, to Level II following a decline in volcanic activity.
Under the current alert level, Siti Sumilah urged the public to remain calm and stay at least two kilometres from the eruption centre and one kilometre from the two newly detected formations. - BERNAMA
