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Arjuno-Welirang

Photo of this volcano
  • Country
  • Volcanic Region
  • Landform | Volc Type
  • Last Known Eruption
  • 7.733°S
  • 112.575°E

  • 3,343 m
    10,968 ft

  • 263290
  • Latitude
  • Longitude

  • Summit
    Elevation

  • Volcano
    Number


Most Recent Bulletin Report: March 2003 (BGVN 28:03) Citation IconCite this Report

Thermal alerts indicate possible activity during August-October 2002

Thermal alerts detected by MODIS within the 2001-2002 period occurred only during August-October 2002 (figure 3) in the summit area. The first alert occurred on 13 August 2002 when a single alert-pixel had an alert ratio of -0.542. On 10 October the anomaly consisted of two alert-pixels with a maximum alert ratio of -0.409, and on 21 October the anomaly was characterized by six alert-pixels (clustered SW of the summit) with a maximum alert ratio of -0.571.

Figure (see Caption) Figure 3. MODIS-detected alerts on Arjuno-Welirang during May-December 2002. Thermal alerts collated by Diego Coppola and David Rothery; data courtesy of the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology's MODIS Thermal Alert Team.

The Volcanological Survey of Indonesia reported that the volcano was at Status Level I (no activity) in October 2002. No observations were reported, but only distant tectonic earthquakes were detected at the seismograph station.

An explosive eruption took place in the NW part of Gunung Welirang in October 1950, and eruptive activity was reported on the NW flank (Kawah Plupuh) in August 1952. Steam plumes from the summit of Welirang were photographed from space on 13 September 1991 (BGVN 16:08) and in mid-November 1994.

Information Contacts: Dali Ahmad, Volcanological Survey of Indonesia (VSI), Jalan Diponegoro No. 57, Bandung 40122, Indonesia (URL: http://www.vsi.esdm.go.id/); Diego Coppola and David A. Rothery, Department of Earth Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK. Thermal alerts courtesy of the HIGP MODIS Thermal Alerts Team (URL: http://modis.higp.hawaii.edu/).

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Arjuno-Welirang.

Bulletin Reports - Index

Reports are organized chronologically and indexed below by Month/Year (Publication Volume:Number), and include a one-line summary. Click on the index link or scroll down to read the reports.

08/1991 (BGVN 16:08) White plume from Welirang summit

11/1994 (NASA STS 66) Steam plume in mid-November seen from space

03/2003 (BGVN 28:03) Thermal alerts indicate possible activity during August-October 2002




Information is preliminary and subject to change. All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


August 1991 (BGVN 16:08) Citation IconCite this Report

White plume from Welirang summit

A plume from the summit area of Welirang . . . was photographed by Space Shuttle astronauts on 13 September at [1535] (photo no. S48-151-064) (figure 1). The dense portion of the apparently ash-poor plume extended roughly 50 km N and more diffuse material continued for another 65 km. The summit area was white and apparently de-vegetated. A plume was observed again on direct video downlink from the spacecraft on [17] September at [1306]. No ground reports were available at press time.

Figure (see Caption) Figure 1. Space Shuttle photograph showing a steam plume from Welirang (just east of the central cloud mass). Also, the lack of vegetation at the peak indicates volcanic activity. Volcanoes on Java form an E-W line of peaks the length of the island; five are in this image. NASA Photo ID: STS048-151-064, 13 September 1991.

Information Contacts: C. Evans and D. Helms, NASA-SSEOP.


November 1994 (NASA STS 66)

Steam plume in mid-November seen from space

A photograph taken from the Space Shuttle in mid-November 1994 showed a possible steam plume originating from the summit of Arjuno (figure 2).

Figure (see Caption) Figure 2. This is a striking, oblique view to the south of the Indonesian islands of Java (right), Bali and Lombok (upper left). The linear array of dark regions across the photo is a chain of volcanoes. Plumes of steam can be seen rising from the summits of Arjuno (eastern Java, near the center of the photo) and Merapi (central Java, near the right of the photo). The region appears hazy due to an extended drought over Indonesia, New Guinea, and Australia resulting in huge fires and a regional smoke pall. NASA Photo ID: STS066-154-157. Approximate date: 14 November 1994.

Information Contacts: NASA JSC Digital Image Collection (URL: http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/).


March 2003 (BGVN 28:03) Citation IconCite this Report

Thermal alerts indicate possible activity during August-October 2002

Thermal alerts detected by MODIS within the 2001-2002 period occurred only during August-October 2002 (figure 3) in the summit area. The first alert occurred on 13 August 2002 when a single alert-pixel had an alert ratio of -0.542. On 10 October the anomaly consisted of two alert-pixels with a maximum alert ratio of -0.409, and on 21 October the anomaly was characterized by six alert-pixels (clustered SW of the summit) with a maximum alert ratio of -0.571.

Figure (see Caption) Figure 3. MODIS-detected alerts on Arjuno-Welirang during May-December 2002. Thermal alerts collated by Diego Coppola and David Rothery; data courtesy of the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology's MODIS Thermal Alert Team.

The Volcanological Survey of Indonesia reported that the volcano was at Status Level I (no activity) in October 2002. No observations were reported, but only distant tectonic earthquakes were detected at the seismograph station.

An explosive eruption took place in the NW part of Gunung Welirang in October 1950, and eruptive activity was reported on the NW flank (Kawah Plupuh) in August 1952. Steam plumes from the summit of Welirang were photographed from space on 13 September 1991 (BGVN 16:08) and in mid-November 1994.

Information Contacts: Dali Ahmad, Volcanological Survey of Indonesia (VSI), Jalan Diponegoro No. 57, Bandung 40122, Indonesia (URL: http://www.vsi.esdm.go.id/); Diego Coppola and David A. Rothery, Department of Earth Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK. Thermal alerts courtesy of the HIGP MODIS Thermal Alerts Team (URL: http://modis.higp.hawaii.edu/).

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.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 2 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

[ 1991 Sep 13 ] Uncertain Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption Gunung Welirang
1991 Sep 13 - Unknown Evidence from Unknown

List of 1 Events for Episode 1 at Gunung Welirang

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion Uncertain

1952 Aug 15 ± 5 days Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption NW flank (Kawah Plupuh)
1952 Aug 15 ± 5 days - Unknown Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 4 Events for Episode 1 at NW flank (Kawah Plupuh)

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Phreatic activity Uncertain
   - - - -    - - - - Volcanic "smoke"
   - - - -    - - - - Lahar or Mudflow weak or small
1952 Aug 15 ± 5 days    - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)

1950 Oct 30 Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption NW part of Gunung Welirang (2500 & 2700 m)
1950 Oct 30 - Unknown Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at NW part of Gunung Welirang (2500 & 2700 m)

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
1950 Oct 30    - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)
Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Arjuno-Welirang.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Arjuno-Welirang.

Photo Gallery

The Arjuno-Welirang volcanic complex (left) and the smaller Gunung Penanggungan volcano (right) are seen here from the SE across a broad valley from the summit of Tengger caldera. A chain of small cones and craters extends across the Arjuno-Welirang complex, while the flanks of the small Penanggungan stratovolcano contain lava flows from flank vents.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1995 (Smithsonian Institution).
The volcanoes of Arjuno (right-center) and Welirang (left) are seen here NE of cultivated land. A line of cones have formed across the southern flank of Gunung Arjuno and extends to its eastern flank. Fumarolic areas with sulfur deposition occur at several locations on Gunung Welirang.

Anonymous, date unknown.
A complex cluster of craters at the summit of Gunung Welirang. Kawah Jero crater (upper left) lies behind Tilas Geni crater in the foreground, and Kawah Plupuh is to the right. This view looks from the north to craters of Gunung Arjuno in the background.

Photo published in Taverne, 1926 "Vulkaanstudien op Java," (courtesy of Volcanological Survey of Indonesia).
Kawah Jero is one of several craters along the summit of Gunung Welirang, the northernmost section of the Arjuno-Welirang stratovolcanoes. A 6-km-long chain of cones and craters extends NW-SE between the volcanoes.

Photo published in Taverne, 1926 "Vulkaanstudien op Java," (courtesy of Volcanological Survey of Indonesia).
Three young volcanoes in eastern Java are seen in this aerial view from the NE. The Arjuno-Welirang massif lies at the left-center, with Gunung Arjuno forming the high point of the complex and light-colored Gunung Welirang to the NW (right). In the background is the Kawi-Butak massif, with Gunung Butak forming the high point and Gunung Kawi to its right. The smaller conical peak of Penanggungan rises above lowlands in the foreground.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 2000 (Smithsonian Institution).
GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

The maps shown below have been scanned from the GVP map archives and include the volcano on this page. Clicking on the small images will load the full 300 dpi map. Very small-scale maps (such as world maps) are not included.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Arjuno-Welirang in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites