JAKARTA: Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait erupted on Tuesday (July 7), sending an ash column 100 metres into the sky as the volcano continues to exhibit elevated activity. According to the Geological Agency of the Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), the eruption occurred at 8:21 a.m.
Officials reported that the volcano released a dense gray ash plume that rose from the crater and drifted north-west. During the eruption, seismic monitoring recorded a maximum amplitude of 11 millimetres and a duration of about 15 seconds.
The head of the Mount Anak Krakatau Observation Post in South Lampung, Andi Suwardi, said the volcano’s alert status remained unchanged despite ongoing eruptions. “Eruptions are still occurring, with activity fluctuating over time. However, Mount Anak Krakatau’s status remains at the same level as before,” Andi said on Tuesday as quoted by Kompas.com.
Andi said monitoring teams at the observation post are conducting 24-hour surveillance to track any changes in the volcano’s activity. Key indicators, including ash plume height and seismic activity, are being closely monitored as part of ongoing assessments.
He also urged the public to remain alert to potential changes in volcanic activity and avoid carrying out activities near Mount Anak Krakatau until further notice. “We urge the public, fishermen, tourists and climbers not to approach Mount Anak Krakatau or conduct activities in the surrounding area. Safety must remain the top priority until the Geological Agency issues any changes to its recommendations,” Andi said.
Mount Anak Krakatau has recorded a significant increase in volcanic activity since June 10, following a prolonged period of relative inactivity. Between June 18 and 19, the number of eruption tremors and low-frequency earthquakes surged, averaging more than 50 events per day. From June 16 to July 2, the frequency continued to increase, reaching an average of 97 events per day.
Mount Anak Krakatau recorded its first eruption of the current eruptive phase on Thursday and has since erupted five times. On Friday, Indonesia’s Geological Agency raised Mount Anak Krakatau’s alert status from Level II (Alert) to Level III (Watch), the second-highest level in Indonesia’s four-tier volcanic alert system, citing the escalation in volcanic activity.
Authorities also established a three-kilometre exclusion zone around the volcano’s crater area. Despite restrictions barring access to the area around Mount Anak Krakatau, some fishermen and tourism operators have continued to venture into nearby waters, attempting to avoid monitoring by authorities.
South Lampung Regent Radityo Egi Pratama urged fishermen and tourism operators not to put themselves at risk by approaching Mount Anak Krakatau in search of income amid the volcano’s heightened activity. “I urge fishermen and operators offering tourism trips to temporarily stay away from the Mount Anak Krakatau area. This is for the safety of everyone and to prevent any unwanted incidents,” Egi said.
He said the government understands that increased volcanic activity has affected local economic activities, particularly for communities that rely on the sea and tourism. However, he emphasised that public safety must remain the top priority until the volcano’s alert status is lowered.
Mount Anak Krakatau, which means “Child of Krakatau,” emerged from the sea in 1927 within the caldera formed by the massive 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatau — one of the deadliest and most destructive volcanic disasters in recorded history.
The 1883 eruption unleashed powerful explosions and a series of tsunamis that killed an estimated 36,000 people across the region. The event also sent vast amounts of volcanic material into the atmosphere, disrupting weather patterns and influencing the global climate.
Mount Anak Krakatau’s most recent major eruption occurred on Dec. 22, 2018, when a partial collapse of the volcano’s flank triggered a tsunami that struck coastal areas of southern Sumatra and western Banten. The disaster killed at least 429 people and injured more than 7,200 others. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
