Report on Lewotobi (Indonesia) — November 2002
Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, vol. 27, no. 11 (November 2002)
Managing Editor: Richard Wunderman.
Lewotobi (Indonesia) Explosion on 12 October 2002, the first reported activity since July 1999
Please cite this report as:
Global Volcanism Program, 2002. Report on Lewotobi (Indonesia) (Wunderman, R., ed.). Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, 27:11. Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.BGVN200211-264180
Lewotobi
Indonesia
8.542°S, 122.775°E; summit elev. 1703 m
All times are local (unless otherwise noted)
On 12 October 2002 at 2330, an explosion at Lewotobi Lakilaki (a twin stratovolcano of Lewotobi Perempuan) was accompanied by a weak thundering sound that was heard at Hokeng village, 5 km from the summit. An ash column rose ~500 m above the volcano and drifted NW. Ash fell as far as 5 km away, accumulating to thicknesses of less than 0.5 mm. No seismic data were available. Following the eruption, the Alert Level was raised to 2 (on a scale of 1-4). According to VSI, eruptions at Lewotobi usually occur over an extended time, therefore more explosions were expected in the following weeks to months. VSI reported no increase in volcanism in the weeks following the 12 October eruption. Through at least 24 November, a thin white low-pressure ash plume was frequently visible rising 150-250 m above the summit. Lewotobi remained at Alert Level 2.
Geological Summary. The Lewotobi edifice in eastern Flores Island is composed of the two adjacent Lewotobi Laki-laki and Lewotobi Perempuan stratovolcanoes (the "husband and wife"). Their summits are less than 2 km apart along a NW-SE line. The conical Laki-laki to the NW has been frequently active during the 19th and 20th centuries, while the taller and broader Perempuan has had observed eruptions in 1921 and 1935. Small lava domes have grown during the 20th century in both of the summit craters, which are open to the north. A prominent cone, Iliwokar, occurs on the E flank of Perampuan.
Information Contacts: Dali Ahmad, Volcanological Survey of Indonesia (VSI), Jalan Diponegoro No. 57, Bandung 40122, Indonesia (URL: http://www.vsi.esdm.go.id/).