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21 Volcanoes Across Country Ready to Erupt
Candra Malik | October 01, 2010
Bandung. Twenty-one volcanoes across Indonesia could erupt at any time, leading to natural disasters, officials have warned.
An official from the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG) told the Jakarta Globe on Friday that the alert for 18 volcanoes had been raised from Level 1, or ?normal,? to Level 2, or ?beware.?
Hendrasto, the head of the PVMBG?s Volcano Observation Unit, said that three other volcanoes were on Level 3, or ?standby,? just one step below full alert, or Level 4.
One of those three is Mount Sinabung in Karo district, North Sumatra, which began erupting on Aug. 29 after lying dormant for 400 years. Its last major eruption, on Sept. 7, spewed volcanic ash more than 5,000 meters into the atmosphere.
?We downgraded Sinabung from Level 4 to Level 3 on September 23,? Hendrasto said. ?However, we still urge the public to remain alert for any danger.?
Most of the villagers who were evacuated after the initial eruption have since been allowed to return to their homes.
The two other volcanoes on Level 3 alert are Mount Karangetang on Siau Island in North Sulawesi and Mount Ibu on Halmahera Island in North Maluku. Karangetang is considered the most active volcano in the archipelago, with 41 major eruptions since 1675. Its last eruption, on Aug. 6, is believed to have killed four people.
Ibu, meanwhile, has experienced ongoing eruptions since April 5, 2008, feeding a lava flow down one side of the mountain...
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http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/indonesia/21-volcanoes-across-country-ready-to-erupt/399206
Candra Malik | October 01, 2010
Bandung. Twenty-one volcanoes across Indonesia could erupt at any time, leading to natural disasters, officials have warned.
An official from the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG) told the Jakarta Globe on Friday that the alert for 18 volcanoes had been raised from Level 1, or ?normal,? to Level 2, or ?beware.?
Hendrasto, the head of the PVMBG?s Volcano Observation Unit, said that three other volcanoes were on Level 3, or ?standby,? just one step below full alert, or Level 4.
One of those three is Mount Sinabung in Karo district, North Sumatra, which began erupting on Aug. 29 after lying dormant for 400 years. Its last major eruption, on Sept. 7, spewed volcanic ash more than 5,000 meters into the atmosphere.
?We downgraded Sinabung from Level 4 to Level 3 on September 23,? Hendrasto said. ?However, we still urge the public to remain alert for any danger.?
Most of the villagers who were evacuated after the initial eruption have since been allowed to return to their homes.
The two other volcanoes on Level 3 alert are Mount Karangetang on Siau Island in North Sulawesi and Mount Ibu on Halmahera Island in North Maluku. Karangetang is considered the most active volcano in the archipelago, with 41 major eruptions since 1675. Its last eruption, on Aug. 6, is believed to have killed four people.
Ibu, meanwhile, has experienced ongoing eruptions since April 5, 2008, feeding a lava flow down one side of the mountain...
.../
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/indonesia/21-volcanoes-across-country-ready-to-erupt/399206