The eruption of Mount Sinabung in Sumatra - how we got into the thick of it... My trip to the Sinabung volcano, Sumatra, Indonesia The Sinabung volcano erupted in Indonesia
Indonesia: consequences of the eruption of Mount Merapi (March 2020).
Indonesia's Mount Merapi erupted twice on Friday, shooting ash plumes up to 6 kilometers (4 miles) into the sky and forcing the closure of two airports.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said the volcano's warning status, raised last month from its lowest level, had not changed and a 3-kilometer (3-kilometer) (no action) zone around the crater remained in effect.
He said the first eruption occurred at 8:20 a.m. and lasted for two minutes. Merapi erupted again in the evening, spewing volcanic ash up to 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles), the local volcanology agency said.
Materials unleashed by the first eruption were carried north, leading to the temporary closure of Ahmad Yani International Airport in Java's central capital Semarang and Ade Sumarno Airport in Solo, officials said.
The mountain is located about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the city of Yogyakarta on the densely populated island of Java.
About a quarter of a million people live within a 10-kilometer (6-mile) radius of the volcano.
Merapi's last major eruption in 2010 killed 347 people.
Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 250 million people, sits on the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire" and is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. State seismologists monitor more than 120 active volcanoes.
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Sinabung is the highest active volcano in North Sumatra province, 2450 meters above sea level. The first time he woke up from more than 400 years of sleep was on August 29, 2010, when the height of ash emissions reached one and a half kilometers and several thousand residents of surrounding villages were evacuated. Then the volcano calmed down and showed only slight fumarolic-solfatorial activity on the southern slope, so in the summer of 2013 I was impressed by the beauty that had revealed itself to me.
The next eruption of Sinabung began in September 2013 and reached its peak in January-February, when 14 people died (or 16 according to other sources). The 2013-14 eruption was accompanied not only by pellet emissions, but also by powerful pyroclastic flows. Much has been written about these eruptions on the Internet; I will not repeat myself or retell what is already known. Just google it... Now a tongue of frozen lava is clearly visible on the southern slope of the volcano. Here he is in all his glory. It's not bad, huh?
In February, Russian guys already climbed the volcano, so it’s not surprising that thoughts of climbing Sinabung took root in my head...
The implementation of these thoughts began with a trip to Lake Lau Kawar in order to reconnoiter the situation and look at the consequences of the eruption.
As of May 2014, local residents within a 5 km radius of the volcano were still officially evacuated, but in fact many returned to their homes in order to gradually restore them to order. The local residents, the Karo people, have more than enough work to do: they need to clear volcanic ash from the roofs, collect it in bags (this is an excellent fertilizer), clear away the rubble, patch the roofs... The villages closest to Sinabung look rather sad. The roofs of almost all buildings were broken.
Volcanic ash in white bags.
Evacuation direction indicator.
Lake Lau Kawar previously had tourism infrastructure: cafes, coffee shops, shops. There was even a guesthouse. Now everything has been abandoned - people are afraid to return so close to Sinabung. It is from the lake that the trek to the summit begins, which is only 5 kilometers away. There used to be a cafe here, right next to the water.
Only a couple of houses near the lake are inhabited. I went into one of these: everything inside is more than modest. There isn't even a bed.
I checked the trail to the volcano. I ended up with her full order, only at the very beginning it became a little overgrown. Well, all that remains is to wait for good weather and hit the road – to the top of Sinabung!
A few days later I met in Berastagi with famous traveler Mikhail Pavlyuk. He had just returned from a 9-day solo trip to Gunung Leuser and was ready to join me in the Sinabung campaign. It was very interesting for us to look at the craters up close and climb on the lava tongue. Photo of the volcano the day before the ascent.
We set out the next day after the meeting, after lunch, with the expectation of spending the night somewhere on the volcano and climbing to the top in the morning. The weather didn't work out... But don't retreat once you've gathered!
At the beginning of the trail, the forest still retained its green color.
But the higher you go, it’s grayer - the leaves were burned by hot ash...
We climbed low, set up a tent and spent the night at an altitude of 1800-1900 meters, since gases from large solfators on the slope were deposited higher up.
The next morning we set out for the summit. In some places the trail is littered with fallen trees, but you can always go around or get through. Pyroclastic flows poured out from the other side, so the track was not badly damaged by the eruption and walking along it was no more difficult than before.
Above 2000 meters everything is black and white, like in an old movie...
At first the weather was still fine. Atmospheric views of the lake opened up.
But gradually the sky became covered with thick clouds. And the eruption of Sinabung against the background of clouds no longer looked so impressive.
Sometimes the smell of sulfur hit us, but not too much, since the wind was blowing in the opposite direction. After 1.5 hours we reached the pre-summit plateau. It looks very futuristic - as if we were on another planet. And fog and clouds only add to the atomosphere...
In such unusual place You definitely have to leave your mark.
Storm flows washed away the ashes - they are all riddled with deep cracks.
The trail goes to the very top, where a triangulation post is installed. Alas, because of the clouds we can’t see a damn thing, and Misha and I ourselves are like hedgehogs in the fog...
We decided to hang around at the top and wait for good weather. There’s not much to do on the 6x6 patch, so we studied the transit entomofauna - insects passing through the volcano to the other side. The flight is good, but the species diversity is not great: small beetles, longhorned beetles, ground beetles and a large number of beetles. You can only go down along the path, because... The ash is dry only on the outside, but at a depth of 5-7 centimeters it is very wet and slippery: there is a 100% chance of slipping. Therefore, the hike to the newly formed crater right in front of us was canceled for safety reasons. The top of Sinabunga has changed its geology - now there are not 2 craters, as before, but 4. An hour later, the clouds cleared a little and we did not fail to take advantage of this opportunity for photography. Straight ahead below in this photo is a young crater, and on the left is smoke from the main one.
The “fingers” never fully opened...
I wonder if they survived? This is what they looked like in 2013.
It was on this plateau in front of the main crater that tents used to stand.
And now the smoke is pouring out so much that we didn’t dare to go down.
We stood at the top for another hour, but the weather only got worse, so we decided to return. On the way back I took a photo of Misha in the bushes. It turned out brutal.
We went down to the tent, had lunch, got ready and, driven by the beginning rain, rushed down the descent. The rain soon turned into downpour and, in the best equatorial traditions, we got soaked through. Then we stood on the veranda of an abandoned guest house, drying out. As usual, after the rain the flight of large beetles began. At this time, they are hit en masse by cars on the roads.
After the rain, the clouds went away and Sinabung opened...
Fir-trees, yes it erupted when we were at the top! It’s good that the wind blew in the other direction and didn’t hit us... Just like that, in bad weather you can climb a volcano and not notice that it smokes a lot and throws out ash... So be careful, friends! Hiking an erupting volcano is no joke! According to the stories of the locals that night, when we spent the night on the volcano, the height of the ash emissions reached 500 meters, and during the day it subsided to 300.
At such moments you feel that life is good after all. And this gift must be appreciated. So we thanked the wind, which, at a minimum, saved us from trouble that night, and at most, saved our lives. We caught a minibus and headed to the base, in. Misha left for the same day, and I stayed one more night at the Talitha guesthouse.
The maximum plan was not fulfilled, so we need to climb Sinabung for the third time - it will be very interesting to look at new craters, climb the lava tongue, see what plants and animals will be the first settlers after the extinction of the volcano’s activity (if it doesn’t go crazy again). I'm planning to arrive in Sumatra in October 2014 and immediately climb Sinabung, so stay tuned!
You can read about my other climbs in Indonesia
How to get to Mount Sinabung
In Berastagi we go to the central bazaar, from where white minibuses depart for Kuta Raya as they fill up (we tell the driver that we are going to Lau Kawar). The ride takes 40-50 minutes, the fare is 7,000 rupees. From Kuta Raya to Lake Lau Kawar you still need to walk along a narrow asphalt road for 2 km. well and best ways travel around Indonesia.
The active Sinabung volcano had been dormant for 400 years but suddenly became active in 2010. The terrible tragedy claimed many lives, but as soon as people began to return to White Island, where, in fact, this volcano is located, nature again began to terrorize local residents and tourists. Since 2010, the volcano has destroyed all life several times; in 2019, another eruption occurred, which claimed several human lives. More detailed information provided by law enforcement officer John Tims.
Sinabung, volcano, eruption in 2019, video
Earlier, information appeared that at the time the volcanic eruption began, there were no more than 50 tourists on the island. Rescuers managed to evacuate 23 people from the island, including victims. It is still unknown how many people remain on White Island; no one can establish contact with them. John Tims says it is too dangerous for rescuers to return there, but they plan to resume the search as soon as such an opportunity arises.
Jacinda Ardern, the country's prime minister, said she wanted to travel to the disaster area on December 9, 2019. Jacinda expressed her sympathy for the victims. The official GeoNet portal reports that more than 10 thousand tourists come to the island every year. White Island is located 50 kilometers north of North Island. In November 2019, experts recorded an increase in volcanic activity on the island, but tourists still came to see this island.
Death of missing people
Local authorities said that 8 people who were missing on White Island have died. Information about this appeared on the official Facebook page of the local law enforcement department. Law enforcement officer John Tims said that there are no longer any survivors on the island.
It is known that at the time of the volcano’s activation, which occurred at the beginning of December 2019, there were no more than 50 people on the island. These people included citizens of New Zealand, Germany, England, China, Malaysia, Australia, England and the United States. Not long ago, information appeared that 5 people died due to the eruption, and another 31 were hospitalized. Most of the injured people are in extremely serious condition.
The bodies of the victims will soon be transported to Auckland for identification. A law enforcement official said it would be very difficult to identify the dead.
Sinabung eruption timeline
Tragedy of 2010
A terrible tragedy occurred on one of the last days of August 2010. It is noteworthy that people did not worry about this volcano for 400 years; that is how long it was in “hibernation” mode. Experts recorded smoke and ash emissions at least one and a half kilometers high. There were about 12 villages located within a radius of 6 kilometers from the volcano. The eruption forced more than 12 thousand local residents to flee their homes. In a short period of time, another 5 thousand people abandoned their homes, all of them trying to escape as far as possible from Sinabung, which was destroying everything in its path.
Repetition of the tragedy in 2013
The volcano, which had previously been dormant for 400 years, began to erupt too often. The next eruption began at the very beginning of November 2013. A column of volcanic ash and smoke rose several kilometers above the top of the volcano.
Chaos in 2014 and 2015
A few months after the tragedy in 2013, the Sinabung volcano again began to produce a series of ash emissions in January 2014. It is reported that the volcano produced 30 ash emissions and 60 lava eruptions, thereby forcing more than 20 thousand local residents to leave their homes. Lava flowed 5 kilometers south of the volcano's crater, and the cloud of volcanic ash reached a height of 4 kilometers.
In the winter of 2014, local residents witnessed another activation of the volcano. Sinabung raised clouds of hot ash into the air to a height of 2 kilometers, the lava swallowed all the neighboring villages. About 14 people are considered dead. The eruption occurred after residents who were more than 5 kilometers from the mountain were allowed to return home after a long absence of volcanic activity. Among the dead was a journalist from a local TV channel and four children from high school together with your teacher. They all came to the mountain to see the eruption up close.
It is noteworthy that 7 people from the Indonesian Christian movement GMKI were present at the scene; these people wanted to save the local residents, but, unfortunately, they died. In the summer of 2015, the volume of lava that Sinabung erupted rose to 3 million cubic meters, because of this there was a real threat of the collapse of the volcano’s dome. Local authorities said that people needed to be evacuated, which was done. In total, more than 6 thousand people were evacuated.
Return of Sinabunga in 2016
In the winter of 2016, Sinabung once again began throwing out columns of ash. It is reported that at this time the pillars reached a height of three kilometers, the dome collapsed, and lava began to pour out. Due to the next eruption, which occurred at the end of May of the same year, about 7 people died, while two more people were in critical condition.
Volcano activity in 2018
Another disaster occurred at the end of February 2018. Huge columns of ash rose to a height of 5 kilometers and spread 4.9 kilometers to the south. Locals were not injured. Due to the reactivating volcano, Australia decided to declare a state of emergency and prohibit planes from taking off.
The largest cluster of volcanoes is located in the Earth's "belt of fire" - the Pacific volcanic ring. It is here that 90% of all earthquakes in the world occurred. The so-called belt of fire stretches along the entire perimeter of the Pacific Ocean. In the west along the coast from and to New Zealand and Antarctica, and in the east, passing through the Andes and Cordillera, it reaches the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.
One of the currently active sources of the “belt of fire” is located in the north in Indonesia - the Sinabung volcano. This one of the 130 volcanoes in Sumatra is notable for the fact that over the past seven years it has been constantly active and has attracted the attention of both scientists and the media.
Chronicle of Sinabung
The first eruption of the Indonesian volcano Sinabung after four centuries of sleep began in 2010. On the weekend of August 28 and 29, underground rumbles and booms were heard. Many residents, about 10,000 people, fled away from the awakened volcano.
On Sunday night, the Sinabung volcano finally woke up: the eruption began with a powerful emission of a column of ash and smoke more than 1.5 km upward. The explosion on Sunday was followed by a more powerful one on Monday, August 30, 2010. The eruption claimed the lives of two people. In total, about 30,000 surrounding residents were forced to leave their homes and fields covered with volcanic ash with lost crops. In the photo below, residents are running away from a cloud of ash.
The second eruption of Mount Sinabung began on November 6, 2013 and then continued for several more days. The volcano ejected columns of ash to a height of up to 3 km, the plume from which spread for tens of kilometers. More than 5,000 people from 7 surrounding villages were evacuated. The Sumatra government has urged people not to approach Mount Sinabung more than 3 km.
In February 2014, a disaster occurred. After the cessation of volcanic activity (in early January), evacuated residents of villages located more than 5 km from the volcano were allowed to return home. But immediately after this, on February 1, a powerful lava eruption and pyroclastic flow killed 16 people.
And to this day, the Sinabung volcano does not calm down: a column of ash and smoke is visible for many kilometers, eruptions of varying strength and duration do not stop and take the lives of brave souls who risked returning to the volcano exclusion zone with a radius of 7 km, which was organized by the Sumatra government after the 2014 disaster.
It is noteworthy that in the exclusion zone you can find entire cities and ghost villages, collapsing, empty, as if the apocalypse had already overtaken the Earth. But there are also brave farmers who continue to live at the foot of Mount Sinabung. What is it that attracts them so much?
Why do people settle near the base of volcanoes?
The soil on the slopes of volcanoes is extremely fertile due to the minerals that enter it with volcanic ash. In warm climates, you can grow more than one crop per year. Therefore, farmers in Sumatra, despite the dangerous proximity of the Sinabung volcano, do not leave their houses and arable land at its foot.
In addition to agriculture, they mine gold, diamonds, ore, and other minerals.
Why is a volcanic eruption dangerous?
A common cliché among people who do not live in geologically active areas is that a volcanic eruption is solely due to the flow of lava that rushes down the side of a mountain. And if a person is lucky enough to find himself or settle and sow crops on the opposite side of it, then the danger has passed. Otherwise, you just need to climb higher on a rock or float on a stone fragment among the lava, like on an ice floe on water, the main thing is not to fall. It’s better to run to the right side of the mountain in time and wait an hour or two.
Lava is definitely deadly. Just like the earthquake that accompanies a volcanic eruption. But the flow moves rather slowly, and a physically fit person is able to escape it. An earthquake also does not always have a large magnitude.
In fact, pyroclastic flows and volcanic ash pose a huge danger.
Pyroclastic flows
The hot gas that escapes from the depths of the volcano picks up stones and ash and sweeps away everything in its path, rushing down. Such flows reach speeds of 700 km/h. For example, you can imagine the Sapsan train at full speed. Its speed is about three times less, but despite this, the picture is quite impressive. The temperature of the gases in the rushing mass reaches 1000 degrees; it can burn all living things along the way in a matter of minutes.
One of the deadliest known in history, immediately killed 28,000 people (according to some sources, up to 40,000 people) in the port of Saint-Pierre on May 8, 1902 in the morning, the Mont Pelée volcano, at the foot of which the port was located, after a series of monstrous explosions threw out a cloud of hot gas and ashes, which in a matter of minutes reached settlement. The pyroclastic flow swept through the city at breakneck speed, and there was no escape even in the water, which instantly boiled and killed everyone who fell into it from the overturned ships in the harbor. Only one ship managed to get out of the bay.
In February 2014, 14 people were killed in such a flow during the eruption of the Indonesian volcano Sinabung.
Volcanic ash
At the time of the eruption, ash and fairly large stones thrown out by the volcano can burn or cause injury. If we talk about the ash that covers everything around after an eruption, then its consequences are more long-lasting. It is even beautiful in its own way - the post-apocalyptic landscape from the island of Sumatra in the photo below is proof of this.
But ashes are harmful to the health of people and pets. Walking through such a place for a long time without a respirator is deadly. The ash is also very heavy and, especially when mixed with rainwater, can break the roof of a house, causing it to fall on those inside.
In addition to this, in large quantities it is also destructive for agriculture.
Cars, airplanes, water treatment plants, even communication systems - everything breaks down under a layer of ash, which also indirectly poses a danger to people's lives.
Extreme tourism
Not only the farmer, whose reasons are very clear, can be found near the recent epicenter of the eruption. Extreme tourism along the slopes of active volcanoes brings income to the local population. The photo shows an extreme tourist exploring an abandoned city at the foot of Mount Sinabung in the exclusion zone. Behind him, a column of smoke smoking above the volcano is clearly visible.
Man and nature continue to fight an unequal battle with each other!
Ash cloud
The eruption of Mount Agung in northeast Bali began last weekend. As a result, nearby resorts and villages were covered in a thin layer of ash. Dark gray clouds above the volcano's summit were visible from the island's capital, Denpasar, and even from the neighboring island of Lombok.
Lava flow emissions
As night fell, a bright glow from the crater illuminated a cloud of ash that rose 6,000 meters above the summit of Mount Agung. It began showing signs of activity back in September, prompting local authorities to upgrade the volcano's danger status to emergency and evacuate 140,000 people living nearby. However, later, on October 29, the danger level was lowered.
Eruption of Mount Agung on the island of Bali
Highest point in Bali
Volcano Agung with a height of 3142 meters is the most high point islands. As a result of gas and ash emissions, the work of two airports was stopped at once - on the island of Bali and on neighboring island Lombok.
Eruption of Mount Agung on the island of Bali
Paradise under the ashes
Bali Island is the main one tourist centre Indonesia. Beautiful ocean beaches, temples and lush forests attract about 5 million tourists a year. But, according to Made Sugiri, a representative of the local Mahagiri Panoramic hotel, the number of visitors has decreased in recent months: “We have left the danger zone, but, like other resorts in the region, of course the eruptions cause an outflow of tourists.”
Eruption of Mount Agung on the island of Bali
"Still safe"
Indonesia's disaster management agency says Bali is "still safe" for tourists. The agency's statement noted that over the weekend the status emergency for Agung remained at level 3 (one point below the highest danger indicator). At the same time, despite a number of eruptions, volcanic activity remains relatively stable.
Eruption of Mount Agung on the island of Bali
Airports are closed
Things were different with the status of air travel over the island - on Sunday, November 26, the danger level here reached its highest level - red. Although many flights continued to operate, hundreds of people were stranded. As a result, the airport on the island of Lombok was closed first, and then the main international Airport Ngurah Rai in Bali.
Eruption of Mount Agung on the island of Bali
Exclusion zone around the volcano
The latest lava eruptions have displaced about 25,000 people. Authorities called on everyone inside the exclusion zone within a 7.5-kilometer radius of the volcano's crater to evacuate immediately. Mount Agung is one of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia. Its last major eruption, which occurred in 1963, killed more than a thousand people.
Eruption of Mount Agung on the island of Bali
Magma and ash
Volcanologists described the renewed activity of Mount Agung on November 25 as a phreatic explosion, that is, an eruption with evaporation of smoke caused by heating and expansion of groundwater. On November 26, authorities announced that, judging by the settling of ash, a magmatic eruption had already begun.
Eruption of Mount Agung on the island of Bali
Precautions in Bali
"Mount Agung is still spewing ash, but we need to keep a close eye and be prepared for a more powerful, explosive eruption," warns Indonesian volcanologist Gede Suantika. Soldiers and police are distributing protective masks to people in nearby villages and resorts.