Report on Ijen (Indonesia) — 4 April-10 April 2001
Smithsonian / US Geological Survey Weekly Volcanic Activity Report,
4 April-10 April 2001
Managing Editor: Gari Mayberry
Please cite this report as:
Global Volcanism Program, 2001. Report on Ijen (Indonesia). In: Mayberry, G (ed.), Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 4 April-10 April 2001. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.
Ijen
Indonesia
8.058°S, 114.242°E; summit elev. 2769 m
All times are local (unless otherwise noted)
During 27 March- 1 April, seismic activity at Ijen increased in comparison to the previous week. Seismographs on the volcano detected 35 shallow volcanic earthquakes, seven tectonic earthquakes, and one small explosion. The volcano remained at Alert Level 2 (on a scale of 1-4).
Geological Summary. The Ijen volcano complex at the eastern end of Java consists of a group of small stratovolcanoes constructed within the 20-km-wide Ijen (Kendeng) caldera. The north caldera wall forms a prominent arcuate ridge, but elsewhere the rim was buried by post-caldera volcanoes, including Gunung Merapi, which forms the high point of the complex. Immediately west of the Gunung Merapi stratovolcano is the historically active Kawah Ijen crater, which contains a nearly 1-km-wide, turquoise-colored, acid lake. Kawah Ijen is the site of a labor-intensive mining operation in which baskets of sulfur are hand-carried from the crater floor. Many other post-caldera cones and craters are located within the caldera or along its rim. The largest concentration of cones forms an E-W zone across the southern side of the caldera. Coffee plantations cover much of the caldera floor; nearby waterfalls and hot springs are tourist destinations.
Source: Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG, also known as CVGHM)