MOUNT SEMERU ERUPTED

MOUNT SEMERU ERUPTED

Context:

On December 4, 2021, Semeru erupted for the second time in a year - the first in January 2021.

About Mount Semeru:

• Mount Semeru or Semeru is an active volcano in East Java, Indonesia.
• It is found in a subduction zone where the Indo-Australian plate subducts under Eurasia.
• It is the highest mountain on Java island.

Recent Eruption:

• Semeru erupted for the third time on December 6, 2021.
• At least 22 people were killed in the December blast, and 27 were missing.
• Around 89 people were burnt as a result of the eruption.

Eruptive History:

• Since 1818, at least 55 eruptions have been recorded: lava flows and pyroclastic flows.
• All the eruptions have had a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 2 or 3.

Semeru Geology:

• Semeru rises higher than the plains east of Java.
• The maar contains its crater lakes near a line across the top of the volcano.
• It is located just south of the remote Ajek-ajek and Jambagan calderas.
• Semeru has been in a state of disarray since 1967 until now.

Semeru as Tourist Spot:

• Semeru is often overcrowded, usually starting from the village of Ranu Pane to the north, but although not technological, it can be dangerous.
• Soe Hok Gie, an Indonesian political activist of the 1960s, died in 1969 from inhaling toxic gases while travelling in Mount Semeru.