Indonesia volcano update: Kelut and Anak Krakatau
On 6 November scientists watching Mount Kelut were ‘puzzled’ by the volcano’s behaviour and felt unable to predict with much confidence what it would do next. Today they are sounding more confident that the danger of a major eruption is past, for now: ‘The volcano no longer has the energy needed for an explosive eruption that would threaten the lives of people living nearby’.
Meanwhile, activity at Anak Krakatau has been increasing: ‘Officials said, on Friday from 6 a.m to 6 p.m local time, there have been 182 eruptions coupled with 11 volcanic quakes, eight deep volcanic tremors, 54 shallow volcanic shocks, 44 tremors, and spewing smokes 29 times, but not too threatening’, as China’s Xinhua news agency rather charmingly puts it today. AP has a nice report on Anak Krakatau and its famous progenitor, Krakatau, including reassuring words from a local scientific observer:
Despite the history of its father, Anak is not considered especially dangerous — for now. It has settled into a pattern of a gentle eruption every seven or eight years, scientists said. ‘Maybe in hundreds of years it will blow, but I will be long gone by then,’ said Cahya Patria, among the scientists at the Center for Vulcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation who keep watch on the mountain from a hill on the mainland.
Earlier posts on Kelut: here and here.
