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Report on Papandayan (Indonesia) — 5 June-11 June 2013


Papandayan

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 5 June-11 June 2013
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2013. Report on Papandayan (Indonesia) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 5 June-11 June 2013. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (5 June-11 June 2013)

Papandayan

Indonesia

7.32°S, 107.73°E; summit elev. 2665 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


CVGHM reported that observers at the Papandayan observation post in Pakuwon Village reported no significant changes at Papandayan during May and the beginning of June. They noted that during May plumes rose less than 100 m above Baru and Emas craters, and during 1-5 June plumes rose 20 m at most.

The energy of volcanic earthquakes sharply increased during 2-4 May, and then decreased on 5 May. The average number of volcanic earthquakes declined from 35-49 events per day in early-to-mid May, to 14 events per day in mid-to-late May. The number of events continued to decline through the beginning of June. The number of local tectonic earthquakes also decreased significantly from an average of 67-71 events per day in early-to-mid May, to 2-17 events per day the latter half of May, to about 2 events per day in early June.

Based on the visual observations and decline in seismicity, CVGHM lowered the Alert Level to 2 (on a scale of 1-4).

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.

Source: Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG, also known as CVGHM)