Eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau, Disaster Alarm from the Sunda Strait
The volcanic activity of Mount Anak Krakatau which has recently increased has become a disaster alarm in the Sunda Strait. It is only a matter of time that Anak Krakatau will erupt again violently.
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The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Erupsi Gunung Anak Krakatau, Alarm Bencana dari Selat Sunda
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The body condition of Anak Krakatau on Sunday (13/1/2019).
Since the eruption that triggered the Sunda Strait tsunami on December 22 2018, Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait, South Lampung Regency, Lampung, is still very active. Volcanic activity that triggers a series of earthquakes and eruptions indicates that the volcano is still continuing to build its body. A disaster alarm from the Sunda Strait….
Since Sunday (26/11/2023), the volcanic activity of Mount Anak Krakatau has once again increased. The volcano has been recorded to have erupted dozens of times and continues to release volcanic ash up to a height of 2,000 meters from the summit. At night, glowing lava flows from the volcano can be seen like fireworks from Sebesi Island, which is located about 16.5 kilometers from Krakatau Island.
The increase in activity of Anak Krakatau serves as a reminder of the disaster that devastated the coast of South Lampung five years ago. Therefore, every time Anak Krakatau "coughs," the inhabitants of Pulau Sebesi, especially the males, conduct night patrols. They are on guard in case the volcanic activity of Mount Anak Krakatau triggers a disaster, such as volcanic ash rain, earthquakes, or tsunamis.
"The men here are starting to patrol due to the continuous eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau. The volcanic ash spewing is also becoming higher," said Rahmatullah, a fisherman from Tejang Village, Sebesi Island, when contacted from Bandar Lampung on Monday (27/11/2023).
He stated that the people of Sebesi Island heard a loud rumbling sound when Anak Krakatau Mountain erupted. However, they did not feel an earthquake or were affected by the volcanic ash burst because the wind direction tended towards the west.
Currently, the community and fishermen in Sebesi continue their activities as usual amidst vigilance towards disasters. During the Selat Sunda tsunami, the inhabited island of approximately 2,800 people experienced considerable damage. The houses of residents, especially those located on the coast, were swept away by the tsunami.
Based on Kompas records, at least 426 people died as a result of the Sunda Strait tsunami disaster. Of that number, 116 people are Lampung residents.
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Refugees from Sebuku Island and Sebesi Island will board a ship at Canti Dock, Rajabasa Subdistrict, South Lampung Regency, to return home on Tuesday (8/1/2018).
Krakatoa is also known to have had a major eruption in 416 Before Maeshi, which caused a tsunami and the formation of a caldera (Judd, 1889). De Neve (1981) stated that before the 1883 eruption, several eruptions also occurred in the 3rd, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 16th and 17th centuries, which were followed by the growth of the Rakata, Danan and Perbuatan cones which were destroyed in 1883. (Kompas, 29/8/2018).
Also read: Children of Krakatoa Erupts Dozens of Times, Spitting Volcanic Ash up to 2,000 Meters
Body building
The Head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) of the Geological Agency, Hendra Gunawan, explained that the current eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau is a continuation of the increasing seismic process that began on October 28, 2023. At that time, PVMBG had already explained the potential for a magmatic eruption and the projection of materials beyond 2 kilometers.
According to Hendra, there was an increase in deep volcanic earthquakes recorded by 50 times and shallow volcanic earthquakes by 43 times. This was followed by an increase in low frequency earthquakes on November 6 2023, which were recorded 56 times. This indicates the movement of magma to the surface accompanied by 81 multi-phase earthquakes.
"With the recording of a multi-phase earthquake, it is estimated that currently Mount Anak Krakatau is forming a lava dome or magma extrusion. "In other words, Mount Anak Krakatau is actively building its body," said Hendra via Whatsapp message.
After the partial collapse of Mount Anak Krakatau's body, which triggered the Selat Sunda tsunami on December 22, 2018, the height of Mount Anak Krakatau now stands at 157 meters above sea level.
Map of disaster-prone areas around Anak Krakatau volcano in Sunda Strait, South Lampung. Currently, the status of Anak Krakatau volcano is still level III (Alert). The public is prohibited from approaching within a radius of 5 kilometers from the crater. Source: vsi.esdm.go.id website.
Based onKompas's records, before it collapsed, the height of Mount Anak Krakatau was recorded to have increased over the last decade or so. In October 2018, the height of Mount Anak Krakatau was recorded at 338 meters above sea level. The height of the volcano has increased by 33 meters compared to 2007 when it was recorded at 305 meters above sea level.
Until now, the eruption activity of Anak Krakatau volcano continues to occur every year. According to PVMBG data, within the period of January-October 2023, there have been recorded 415 times of eruption earthquakes. The height of eruption column varies, from 50-3,500 meters above the peak.
Despite continuing unrest, there has been no change in the status of Gunung Anak Krakatau. Currently, Gunung Anak Krakatau remains at level III (Alert). The public is not allowed to approach within a radius of 5 kilometers from the crater. Please note that the words PBB, PKS, and PPP are not to be translated in this article.
PVMBG has sent a team to install a number of sensor equipment around the Krakatau Islands to monitor the activity of Mount Anak Krakatau. The equipment installed includes one seismometer unit installed on Pulau Rakata, one GPS unit on South Krakatau Island, and one CCTV unit on Sertung Island.
The evacuation route has been marked. We have also conducted disaster mitigation training and built disaster-resilient villages.
Hendra added that the ongoing activity of Anak Krakatau volcano is causing the potential for a tsunami to remain. If instability occurs in the lava dome of the Anak Krakatau volcano, it could collapse.
"With the occurrence of landslides, it could trigger sudden eruptions with a great amount of energy caused by the inflow of a large volume of water into shallow magma pockets," said Hendra.
Also read: Sunda Strait Prone to Tsunami
The Head of the Executive of the South Lampung Disaster Management Agency, Aflah Efendi, stated that they continue to monitor the activities of Anak Krakatau Volcano through BMKG. The government has also requested that the public adhere to the prohibition of approaching the volcano within a radius of 5 kilometers.
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Residents observe a tsunami monument erected in Kujir village, Rajabasa district, South Lampung regency, Lampung, to commemorate the disaster on Sunday (22/12/2019).
"The evacuation route has been marked. We have also conducted disaster mitigation training and built disaster-resistant villages," he said.
However, there are not many tsunami warning sirens installed in the coastal areas of South Lampung. At present, there is only one tsunami siren installed near Pasar Inpres Kalianda. According to Aflah, there are plans to build six siren units by the National Disaster Management Agency next year.
The sirens are planned to be installed in six villages spread across three districts in South Lampung. These villages are Way Muli, Banding, Sukaraja (Rajabasa District), Kalianda Village (Kalianda District), as well as Rangai Tri Tunggal and Tarahan Village (Sidomulyo District).
The increasing volcanic activity of Mount Anak Krakatau in recent times has become a disaster alarm for the Sunda Strait. It's only a matter of time before Anak Krakatau erupts again fiercely. We can only wait with caution.
Also read: Silent Killer from the Sunda Strait
