The Darwin VAAC reported that during 4 and 8-10 May ash plumes from Dukono were seen in satellite imagery drifting 25-100 km NW, NE, and SE at an altitude of 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l. On 6 May a pilot reported that a significant plume rose to an altitude of 4.6 km (15,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NW, but there was no confirmation of the plume in satellite imagery.

Geological Summary. Reports from this remote volcano in northernmost Halmahera are rare, but Dukono has been one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes. More-or-less continuous explosive eruptions, sometimes accompanied by lava flows, occurred from 1933 until at least the mid-1990s, when routine observations were curtailed. During a major eruption in 1550, a lava flow filled in the strait between Halmahera and the north-flank cone of Gunung Mamuya. This complex volcano presents a broad, low profile with multiple summit peaks and overlapping craters. Malupang Wariang, 1 km SW of the summit crater complex, contains a 700 x 570 m crater that has also been active during historical time.

Source: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)