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Report on Sinabung (Indonesia) — 1 April-7 April 2015


Sinabung

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 1 April-7 April 2015
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2015. Report on Sinabung (Indonesia) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 1 April-7 April 2015. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (1 April-7 April 2015)

Sinabung

Indonesia

3.17°N, 98.392°E; summit elev. 2460 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


Based on PVMBG notices, BNPB reported that activity at Sinabung increased on 1 April. Seismicity increased. Pyroclastic flows traveled 3.5 km S and produced ash plumes that rose 2 km and drifted SW. Avalanches were detected and incandescent lava was observed at night. On 2 April pyroclastic flows traveled 4 km S and 1 km SE. Avalanches continued. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4). Visitors and tourists were prohibited from approaching the crater within a radius of 5 km on the S and SE flanks, and 3 km in the other directions.

Geological Summary. Gunung Sinabung is a Pleistocene-to-Holocene stratovolcano with many lava flows on its flanks. The migration of summit vents along a N-S line gives the summit crater complex an elongated form. The youngest crater of this conical andesitic-to-dacitic edifice is at the southern end of the four overlapping summit craters. The youngest deposit is a SE-flank pyroclastic flow 14C dated by Hendrasto et al. (2012) at 740-880 CE. An unconfirmed eruption was noted in 1881, and solfataric activity was seen at the summit and upper flanks in 1912. No confirmed historical eruptions were recorded prior to explosive eruptions during August-September 2010 that produced ash plumes to 5 km above the summit.

Sources: Badan Nacional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB), Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)