Most Recent Weekly Report: 3 September-9 September 2025 Cite this Report

The Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG) reported decreased seismicity at Bur ni Telong. Increases in both deep and shallow volcanic earthquakes were recorded in July and early August, though through late August only the number of deep volcanic earthquakes continued to be elevated. Seismicity decreased during 1-7 September. No emissions were observed. The Alert level was lowered to 1 (on a scale from 1 to 4) at 0900 on 8 September and the public was advised to not spend the night in the crater area and to avoid fumaroles and solfataras during cloudy or rainy weather.

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

Weekly Reports - Index

2025: July | September

3 September-9 September 2025 Cite this Report

The Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG) reported decreased seismicity at Bur ni Telong. Increases in both deep and shallow volcanic earthquakes were recorded in July and early August, though through late August only the number of deep volcanic earthquakes continued to be elevated. Seismicity decreased during 1-7 September. No emissions were observed. The Alert level was lowered to 1 (on a scale from 1 to 4) at 0900 on 8 September and the public was advised to not spend the night in the crater area and to avoid fumaroles and solfataras during cloudy or rainy weather.

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

30 July-5 August 2025 Cite this Report

The Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi reported increased volcanic activity at Bur ni Telong, noting a significant increase in deep volcanic earthquakes in July, especially during 22-24 July. This was subsequently followed by an increase in shallow volcanic earthquakes observed during 1-2 August, prompting PVMBG to raise the Alert Level to Level II (on a scale from 1 to 4) at 0600 on 2 August. The public was advised to maintain a minimum distance of 1.5 km from the crater area and to avoid the fumarole and solfatara regions, especially during cloudy or rainy weather.

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

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Bur ni Telong.

Basic Data Volcano Number Last Known Eruption Elevation Latitude Longitude 261050 1937 CE 2,617 m / 8,586 ft 4.769°N 96.821°E Morphology Volcano Landform Composite Volcano Types Stratovolcano Lava dome(s) Rock Types Major Andesite / Basaltic Andesite Tectonic Setting Subduction zone Continental crust (> 25 km) Population Within 5 km Within 10 km Within 30 km Within 100 km 1,342 25,733 125,812 1,631,846

Geological Summary The conical Bur ni Telong volcano was constructed at the southern base of the massive Bur ni Geureudong volcanic complex, one of the largest in northern Sumatra. The historically active volcano lies 4.5 km from the summit of Geureudong,and its summit crater has migrated to the ESE, leaving arcuate crater rims. Lava flows are exposed on the southern flank. Explosive eruptions were recorded during the 19th and 20th centuries. References The following references have all been used during the compilation of data for this volcano, it is not a comprehensive bibliography. Cameron N R, Bennett J D, Bridge D M, Clarke M C G, Djunuddin A, Ghazali S A, Harahap H, Jeffery D H, Kartawa W, Keats W, Ngabito H, Rock N M S, Thompson S J, 1983. Geologic map of the Takengon quadrangle, Sumatra. Geol Res Devel Centre Indonesia, 1:250,000 scale map and 26 p text. Kusumadinata K, 1979. Data Dasar Gunungapi Indonesia. Bandung: Volc Surv Indonesia, 820 p. Neumann van Padang M, 1951. Indonesia. Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World and Solfatara Fields, Rome: IAVCEI, 1: 1-271.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 5 confirmed eruptive periods.

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Synonyms
Tutong, Gunung | Mutelong, Bur | Moetelong, Boer
Craters
Feature Name	Feature Type	Elevation	Latitude	Longitude
Potret, Kawah	Crater

Photo Gallery

Historically active Bur ni Telong volcano, seen here from the SE, was constructed on the southern flank of Bur ni Geureudong volcano, part of which is visible in the background. The two summits of the complex are 4.5 km apart and are similar in elevation. The summit crater has migrated to the ESE, leaving arcuate crater rims. Lava flows are exposed on the southern flank. Explosive eruptions were recorded during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Photo by Cahya Patria, 2004 (Centre of Volcanology & Geological Hazard Mitigation, Volcanological Survey of Indonesia).

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Bur ni Telong in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites

Copernicus Browser	The Copernicus Browser replaced the Sentinel Hub Playground browser in 2023, to provide access to Earth observation archives from the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, the main distribution platform for data from the EU Copernicus missions.
MIROVA	Middle InfraRed Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) is a near real time volcanic hot-spot detection system based on the analysis of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. In particular, MIROVA uses the Middle InfraRed Radiation (MIR), measured over target volcanoes, in order to detect, locate and measure the heat radiation sourced from volcanic activity.
MODVOLC Thermal Alerts	Using infrared satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, scientists at the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, developed an automated system called MODVOLC to map thermal hot-spots in near real time. For each MODIS image, the algorithm automatically scans each 1 km pixel within it to check for high-temperature hot-spots. When one is found the date, time, location, and intensity are recorded. MODIS looks at every square km of the Earth every 48 hours, once during the day and once during the night, and the presence of two MODIS sensors in space allows at least four hot-spot observations every two days. Each day updated global maps are compiled to display the locations of all hot spots detected in the previous 24 hours. There is a drop-down list with volcano names which allow users to 'zoom-in' and examine the distribution of hot-spots at a variety of spatial scales.
WOVOdat    Single Volcano View    Temporal Evolution of Unrest    Side by Side Volcanoes	WOVOdat is a database of volcanic unrest; instrumentally and visually recorded changes in seismicity, ground deformation, gas emission, and other parameters from their normal baselines. It is sponsored by the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) and presently hosted at the Earth Observatory of Singapore. GVMID Data on Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure The Global Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure Database GVMID, is aimed at documenting and improving capabilities of volcano monitoring from the ground and space. GVMID should provide a snapshot and baseline view of the techniques and instrumentation that are in place at various volcanoes, which can be use by volcano observatories as reference to setup new monitoring system or improving networks at a specific volcano. These data will allow identification of what monitoring gaps exist, which can be then targeted by remote sensing infrastructure and future instrument deployments.
Volcanic Hazard Maps	The IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic Hazards and Risk has a Volcanic Hazard Maps database designed to serve as a resource for hazard mappers (or other interested parties) to explore how common issues in hazard map development have been addressed at different volcanoes, in different countries, for different hazards, and for different intended audiences. In addition to the comprehensive, searchable Volcanic Hazard Maps Database, this website contains information about diversity of volcanic hazard maps, illustrated using examples from the database. This site is for educational purposes related to volcanic hazard maps. Hazard maps found on this website should not be used for emergency purposes. For the most recent, official hazard map for a particular volcano, please seek out the proper institutional authorities on the matter.
IRIS seismic stations/networks	Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Services map showing the location of seismic stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 0.18° (about 20 km at mid-latitudes) from the given location of Bur ni Telong. Users can customize a variety of filters and options in the left panel. Note that if there are no stations are known the map will default to show the entire world with a "No data matched request" error notice.
UNAVCO GPS/GNSS stations	Geodetic Data Services map from UNAVCO showing the location of GPS/GNSS stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 20 km from the given location of Bur ni Telong. Users can customize the data search based on station or network names, location, and time window. Requires Adobe Flash Player.
DECADE Data	The DECADE portal, still in the developmental stage, serves as an example of the proposed interoperability between The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, the Mapping Gas Emissions (MaGa) Database, and the EarthChem Geochemical Portal. The Deep Earth Carbon Degassing (DECADE) initiative seeks to use new and established technologies to determine accurate global fluxes of volcanic CO2 to the atmosphere, but installing CO2 monitoring networks on 20 of the world's 150 most actively degassing volcanoes. The group uses related laboratory-based studies (direct gas sampling and analysis, melt inclusions) to provide new data for direct degassing of deep earth carbon to the atmosphere.
Large Eruptions of Bur ni Telong	Information about large Quaternary eruptions (VEI >= 4) is cataloged in the Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (LaMEVE) database of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).
EarthChem	EarthChem develops and maintains databases, software, and services that support the preservation, discovery, access and analysis of geochemical data, and facilitate their integration with the broad array of other available earth science parameters. EarthChem is operated by a joint team of disciplinary scientists, data scientists, data managers and information technology developers who are part of the NSF-funded data facility Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA). IEDA is a collaborative effort of EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS).