Volcanic activity increased at Papandayan beginning 17 July 2004. On 13 July, volcanic earthquakes increased from a range of between 1-3 events per day to 7-9 events per day and increased to 57 events on 16 July (table 3). The temperature on Baru Crater I increased from 84 to 88.5°C, and at Baru Crater II the temperature increased from 89 to 102°C. A visible thin white plume rose 25-100 m. This activity prompted a rise in the hazard status to Alert Level II. During the following week volcanic and local tectonic earthquakes increased, but there were no emissions. A white thin plume rose to 50-150 m above the summit. After 26 July seismicity declined and remained low through at least mid-August. The thin white plume was observed throughout this time, but its maximum height decreased each week until it was only 25-75 m above the summit during 9-15 August.

Table 3. Seismicity at Papandayan, 5 July-15 August 2004. Courtesy of DVGHM.

Geological Summary. Papandayan is a complex stratovolcano with four large summit craters, the youngest of which was breached to the NE by collapse during a brief eruption in 1772 and contains active fumarole fields. The broad 1.1-km-wide, flat-floored Alun-Alun crater truncates the summit of Papandayan, and Gunung Puntang to the north gives a twin-peaked appearance. Several episodes of collapse have created an irregular profile and produced debris avalanches that have impacted lowland areas. A sulfur-encrusted fumarole field occupies historically active Kawah Mas ("Golden Crater"). After its first historical eruption in 1772, in which collapse of the NE flank produced a catastrophic debris avalanche that destroyed 40 villages and killed nearly 3000 people, only small phreatic eruptions had occurred prior to an explosive eruption that began in November 2002.

Information Contacts: Dali Ahmad, Hetty Triastuty, Nia Haerani, Suswati, and Sri Kisyati, Directorate of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, Jalan Diponegoro No. 57, Bandung 40122, Indonesia, URL: http://www.vsi.esdm.go.id/).