Logo link to homepage

Report on Soputan (Indonesia) — January 2002


Soputan

Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, vol. 27, no. 1 (January 2002)
Managing Editor: Richard Wunderman.

Soputan (Indonesia) Avalanche earthquakes, white plumes to 100 m through mid-July 2001

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2002. Report on Soputan (Indonesia) (Wunderman, R., ed.). Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, 27:1. Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.BGVN200201-266030



Soputan

Indonesia

1.112°N, 124.737°E; summit elev. 1785 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


During 13 February through 15 July 2001, seismicity at Soputan was dominated by avalanche earthquakes (see table 3). Discontinuous tremor (0.5- 4 mm amplitude) was reported through most of the report period. Plumes, generally white and thin, were visible reaching 50-100 m above the summit. The Alert Level remained at 2 through at least mid-July 2001. No further reports were issued through February 2002.

Table 3. Earthquakes registered at Soputan during 13 February through 15 July 2001. No reports were issued for missing weeks. Courtesy of VSI.

Date Deep volcanic (A-type) Shallow volcanic (B-type) Avalanche Tectonic
13 Feb-19 Feb 2001 7 -- 57 8
20 Feb-26 Feb 2001 4 1 23 36
27 Feb-05 Mar 2001 -- 1 7 --
06 Mar-12 Mar 2001 6 -- 30 12
12 Mar-18 Mar 2001 4 -- 30 15
19 Mar-23 Mar 2001 5 1 56 18
02 Apr-09 Apr 2001 4 1 73 51
09 Apr-15 Apr 2001 1 1 51 17
16 Apr-23 Apr 2001 9 -- 37 30
23 Apr-29 Apr 2001 1 17 36 --
07 May-13 May 2001 -- 1 148 29
14 May-20 May 2001 1 -- 69 14
28 May-03 Jun 2001 6 -- 85 27
04 Jun-10 Jun 2001 5 -- 75 20
11 Jun-17 Jun 2001 0 0 86 18
18 Jun-24 Jun 2001 1 -- 59 14
25 Jun-01 Jul 2001 3 -- 146 18
02 Jul-08 Jul 2001 2 -- 123 34
09 Jul-15 Jul 2001 3 -- 201 48

Geological Summary. The Soputan stratovolcano on the southern rim of the Quaternary Tondano caldera on the northern arm of Sulawesi Island is one of Sulawesi's most active volcanoes. The youthful, largely unvegetated volcano is the only active cone in the Sempu-Soputan volcanic complex, which includes the Soputan caldera, Rindengan, and Manimporok (3.5 km ESE). Kawah Masem maar was formed in the W part of the caldera and contains a crater lake; sulfur has been extracted from fumarolic areas in the maar since 1938. Recent eruptions have originated at both the summit crater and Aeseput, a prominent NE-flank vent that formed in 1906 and was the source of intermittent major lava flows until 1924.

Information Contacts: Dali Ahmad, Volcanological Survey of Indonesia (VSI) (URL: http://www.vsi.esdm.go.id/).