FAMOUS DEADLY VOLCANOES ON JAVA: KELUD, PAPANDAYAN, GALUNGGUNG

KELUD

Kelud viewpoint in 2009

Mt. Kelud (also spelled Kelut) is a 1731-meter-high (5,679 feet-high) stratovolcano in East Java. It is one of the world’s deadliest volcanoes.It erupted in 1586 killing 10,000 people, the 10th deadliest volcano eruption ever. Over 5,000 people were killed when it erupted 1919,

The disaster in 1919 led to the founding of the Direktorat Vulkunologi in Indonesia. Kelud volcanic lake was drained by drilling a hole in the crater wall after the lake was deemed a flood threat that could kill hundreds of people. A similar strategy was tried on a lake in the crater of Pinatabu in the Philippines.

Kelud is about 200 kilometers east of Yogyakarta and 600 kilometers east of Jakarta. In February 2014, Mt. Kelud spewed ash and sand over a 10-kilometer radius, grounding flights and affecting 200,000 people. Major tourist attractions in Yogyakarta and Central Java, including Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko, were closed after being severely affected by the volcanic ash from the eruption of Kelud, which is located around 200 kilometers east of Yogyakarta. Noise from the eruption could be heard as far away as Yogyakarta. Kelud's last major eruption before that was in 1990, when it kicked out searing fumes and lava that killed more than 30 people and injured hundreds. In 1919, a powerful explosion that reportedly could be heard hundreds of kilometers away killed at least 5,160 people.

Relatively inconspicuous, Kelud volcano is one of East Java's most active volcanoes. The volcano has a spectacular large crater that contains a lake, which was a popular weekend destination but also the origin of devastating mud flows (lahars). In 2007, a new lava dome grew within the lake to form an island, replacing most of the water. A cluster of summit lava domes cut by numerous craters has given the summit a very irregular profile. Satellitic cones and lava domes are also located low on the eastern, western, and south-southwest flanks. [Source: Volcano Discovery]

Kelud' has a reputation of being a mountain that blows its top dramatically but then quickly settles down for another 10 years or so. But when it erupts it presents a serious danger as water from its crater, along with rain, can bring deadly landslides and lahars river beds into villages and valleys.

Websites and Sources on Volcanoes: USGS Volcanoes volcanoes.usgs.gov ; Volcano World volcano.oregonstate.edu ; Volcanoes.com volcanoes.com ; Wikipedia Volcano article Wikipedia , Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program volcano.si.edu operated by the Smithsonian has descriptions of volcanoes around the globe and a catalog of over 8,000 eruptions in the last 10,000 years.

Kelud Eruptions

Kelud eruption in 1951

Kelud is notorious among Indonesia's volcanoes for its violent, and often deadly explosive eruptions. Over the past six centuries Kelud has erupted at least thirty times and has been responsible for approximately 15,000 fatalities. On May 19, 1919 it was the site of one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions of the twentieth century, killing over 5160 people when water was ejected from its large crater lake formed lethal lahars that travelled nearly 40 kilometres and destroyed more than 100 villages. An eruption in 1586 is believed to have caused even more than 10,000 fatalities. Typical eruption style: Explosive. Lava domes, pyroclastic flows. Presence of extensive crater lake at low elevation, generating destructive lahars. [Source: Volcano Discovery ~~, Volcanism blog]

More than 30 eruptions have been recorded from Gunung Kelud since A.D. 1000. Kelud volcano eruptions: 1500, 1548, 1586 (sub-Plinian eruption, 1641 (sub-Plininan eruption), 1716, 1752, 1756, 1771, 1776, 1785, 1811, 1825, 1826, 1835, 1848, 1849, 1864, 1901, 1919, 1920, 1951, 1966, 1967, 1990, Oct-Nov 2007, 13 Feb 2014. ~~

Eruptive activity has in general migrated in a clockwise direction around the summit vent complex. The ejection of water from the crater lake during Kelud's typically short, but violent eruptions has created pyroclastic flows and lahars that have caused widespread fatalities and destruction. ~~

After more than 5000 persons were killed during an eruption in 1919, an ambitious engineering project sought to drain the crater lake. This initial effort lowered the lake by more than 50 meters, but the 1951 eruption deepened the crater by 70 meters, leaving 50 million cubic meters of water after repair of the damaged drainage tunnels. After more than 200 deaths in the 1966 eruption, a new deeper tunnel was constructed, and the lake's volume before the 1990 eruption was only about 1 million cubic meters. ~~

Kelud Eruption in 2014 Kills Four Forces 100,000 to Evacuate

In February 2014, an explosive volcanic eruption from Kelud ejected ash and debris 20 kilometers into the air, killing four people—including a 97-year-old woman, when the roofs of their homes caved in under the weight of ash—and forcing authorities to evacuate more than 100,000 people to temporary shelters and close seven airports. The overnight eruption could be heard in Yogyakarta, 200 kilometers away, "The eruption sounded like thousands of bombs exploding," Ratno Pramono, a 35-year-old farmer, told Associated Press after returning from an evacuation center to check on his property in the village of Sugihwaras, around three miles from the crater. "I thought doomsday was upon us. Women and children were screaming and crying." [Source: Associated Press, February 14, 2014]

map shows how volcanoes define the landscape of Java, Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa

Associated Press reported: “A 60-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman were killed in the village of Pandansari near the mountain when the roofs of their homes collapsed under the weight of the ash and volcanic debris unleashed during the eruption, the disaster agency said. A 70-year-old man died after being hit by a collapsed wall while waiting to be evacuated from the same village, where the volcanic ash reached 8 inches deep in some places.

Ash and grit fell to earth in towns and cities across the region, including Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city after Jakarta, with a population of about 3 million. It also fell even farther afield in Yogyakarta, where motorists switched on headlights in daylight, and lay two inches deep in some places. The large international airport in Surabaya and airports in the cities of Yogyakarta, Solo, Bandung, Semarang and Cilacap were closed due to reduced visibility and the dangers posed to aircraft engines by ash, Transport Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said. Virgin Australia said it had canceled its flights from Australia to several locations due to the eruption, including the resort islands of Bali in Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand.

The 5,680-foot-high Mount Kelud had been rumbling for several weeks and was under close observation. Muhammad Hendrasto, head of Indonesia's volcano monitoring agency, said the mountain erupted violently about 90 minutes after authorities raised its alert status to the highest level. The disaster agency said it had spewed millions of cubic meters of debris into the atmosphere. The disaster agency said tremors were still wracking the volcano, but that scientists didn't expect another major eruption. It said all villages within 10 kilometers of Kelud — more than 100,000 people — had been evacuated to temporary shelters, but that some villagers were returning to their homes to begin cleaning up.

Kediri, a normally bustling town about 19 miles from the mountain, was largely deserted as residents stayed indoors to avoid the choking ash. "The smell of sulfur and ash hung so thickly in the air that breathing was painful," said Kediri resident Insaf Wibowo. Some residents were shoveling the ash and grit into sacks to use for the construction of buildings or to fertilize crops. One collector said that middlemen had already told him they would pay up to $56 for a small truck filled with the debris.

Impact of the 2014 Kelud Eruption

After the imminent danger was over Associated Press reported: Army troops enforced a ban on people returning to houses within 10 kilometers (6 miles) of the volcano, but many people sneaked back to check on livestock and clean up. Authorities were finding it hard to prevent people from returning, given the money farmers stand to lose by staying away, and said about 56,000 people remained in 89 shelters."Our cows need to be milked. If they aren't, they can get sick and die," said Marjito, who was riding on a motorbike with his wife to his village around 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the crater. "We have so much work to do, including running and hiding from security officers," said his wife, Dinayah. A massive cleanup was underway in the region, where millions of homes received ash fall. Police and soldiers used water cannons to clear roads that in places were covered in up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) of white ash. Supporters of political parties campaigning for April elections, wearing party colors, also chipped in and gave out food, seeking to win votes on the back of their assistance. Many people were wearing face masks to protect against the dust that remained in the air. [Source: Niniek Karmini, Associated Press, February 15, 2014]

The city of Yogyakarta, central Java, received approximately five centimeters of fine ashfall from the 13 February 2014 eruption of Kelud volcano in east Java. According to USGS: Many residents and businesses in Yogyakarta rely on an extensive system of shallow wells for their water supplies. These wells are typically five to six meters deep and one to 1.5 meters in diameter and constructed of concrete. An estimated 30 percent of the ~15,000 wells in Yogyakarta are open-air and uncovered. Media reports indicated that uncovered wells in Yogyakarta were contaminated' by volcanic ash from the Mt Kelud eruption, and well owners were urged by the agencies BPBD and BLH (the environment agency) to check the cleanliness of their wells. [Source: USGS]

The agency BBTKL-PPM conducted a water quality survey to assess impacts of the Kelud eruption in the Yogyakarta area. The main effect on water quality noted in the shallow wells following the Kelud eruption was that some wells became 'cloudy' (i.e. turbid). No other effects on water chemistry were noted. For turbidity removal, the chemical flocculant polyaluminum chloride (PAC) was distributed. This chemical is stocked in community health centres.

Lava Dome Activity at Kelud in 2007

In November 2007, Kelud spat out fresh clouds of smoke as scientists warned a major eruption was imminent News agencies reported: “Kelud has been on the highest alert level for more than two weeks, but since Friday scientists have been warning an eruption may be imminent based on the frequency of tremors shaking the mountain and the temperature of it lake. The temperature of the crater lake on Mount Kelud was so great that nearby monitoring equipment was no longer working, said Surono, one of 16 volcanologists watching over the peak 24 hours a day. Despite the threat, there was little sense of panic on Kelud's slopes, witnesses said. [Source: Agencies, November 6, 2007]

“While several thousand people have fled to government shelters, authorities said that around 25,000 others were ignoring evacuation orders and remained in the danger zone around Kelud. Officials have made no attempts to prevent people from traveling inside a 10-kilometer (6-mile) zone around the peak that the local government say is off-limits. "I feel it is OK to stay here," said Sukirno, who was tending papaya plants some 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the peak. "No one can guarantee our safety apart from ourselves."

"If it goes this time, it will be much larger than in 1990," said Surono, basing his prediction on the number of tremors and the lake temperature — both of which have been way higher than in the days preceding the earlier blast. The team monitoring the volcano have also said an eruption may be small or gradual — or might not happen at all given the unpredictable nature of the 5,679-foot mountain. Around 70 kilometers (40 miles) southeast of Kelud, Mount Semeru was also putting on a display, sending out ash clouds high into the air, witnesses said. The peak was on the second highest alert, meaning no evacuations are ordered. Anak Krakatoa off the northern tip of Java island was spitting out hot stones and lava as well as rolling clouds of ash, television footage showed. It was also on the second highest alert.

In the end nothing major happened. Peter Gelling wrote in the New York Times, “Scientists had feared the worst because a layer of cooled lava had formed over the bubbling magma beneath the volcano’s crater, trapping a tremendous amount of pressure. But that layer had since cracked and was beginning to release the pressure. “Anyone more than three kilometers from the crater is allowed to return,” said Pak Surono, chief volcanologist for Mount Kelud. “The mountain is erupting slowly. There will be no explosive eruption that could threaten those living nearby.” [Source: Peter Gelling, New York Times, November 10, 2007]

Living in the Shadow of Kelud

Reporting from Kali Bladar, near Kelud, Peter Gelling wrote in the New York Times, “For about a month, Ibu Suwarni’s life has been interrupted by Mount Kelud. The mountain was giving every indication that a major eruption was imminent, with clouds of white smoke billowing as the temperature of its crater lake spiked as high as 169 degrees. The water around the volcano was so hot by mid-October that Ms. Suwarni and the hundreds of others in this town on eastern Java who make their living mining for sand and rocks from nearby rivers had to stop working. Then, when scientists recorded an intense series of volcanic tremors, residents were ordered to evacuate. [Source: Peter Gelling, New York Times, November 10, 2007 ^/^]

“Her family of four, along with about 600 other people, moved into a government refugee camp six miles from the steaming crater lake. They joined thousands of others who had already been living in refugee camps in the vicinity since Kelud began amassing energy deep within its belly a few weeks earlier. Thousands of others defied the order, refusing to leave their homes and crops, while in Ms. Suwarni’s camp, nearly a hundred people crowded a single tent every night and children played in ankle-deep mud outside, inevitably chased back inside by deafening thunder, nearby lightning and torrents of rain. “I want to go back; I want my life back,” Ms. Suwarni said earlier this week as the electricity flickered on and off. “We’ve been waiting for so long.” Her wait ended when scientists reduced the alert at Kelud from its highest level and allowed most villagers to go back to their homes.” ^/^

“Even those who have gone back to their homes cannot return to the work that provided them with a meager 80 cents a day. The mountain rivers they mined for valuable rocks and sand are still scalding hot, and noxious gas continues to spew from Kelud. It is anyone’s guess when Kelud will start amassing energy again. Refugee tents remain, and search and rescue teams stay ready. Volcanologists have raised and reduced the alert level here so many times in the past month that residents are bewildered. “It is frustrating and confusing,” said Budi Rianto, the town’s mayor. “All you can do is wait and hope we make the right decision.” ^/^

“Many of those who evacuated did so after they saw the warnings on television. “This is the first time there has ever been an evacuation,” Ibu Misyen, a 40-year-old grandmother who has lived through three eruptions, told the New York Times. “We could see the signs: the smell of sulfur, the warm air and hot water. But we wouldn’t have left if the government didn’t tell us to.” Some villagers release live swans into its rivers to help appease what they believe is a love-scorned prince living within. ^/^

“When the police announced through a bullhorn on Thursday that Ms. Suwarni and the others could return to their homes, the camp leaped with activity. Ms. Suwarni stuffed her few belongings into a bag, collected her children and began the walk back seemingly in one motion. The camp was empty in less than an hour. “I am so happy to go back,” she said, the hot river still steaming beside her, a cloud of poisonous gas still obscuring the mountain’s top. “It is always dangerous living here, but it’s better than starting over someplace else.” ^/^

For many of the millions of people affected by the 2014 Kelud eruption, the event provided a means for making money and fertilizer for their crops. "This is a blessing of the disaster," Imam Choiri, a farmer who was scraping up the ash from the road to use as fertilizer on his small vegetable plot a few kilometers from the crater of the rumbling mountain, told Associated Press. Choiri said locals believe the ash helps drive away pests from crops. Volcanic ash and debris are also prized in the building industry because they make especially strong cement, and sand diggers can charge almost twice as much per load than they can for regular sand. Scores of diggers were collecting the fresh, easy-to-dig sand, packing the windfall into bags or onto trucks. "Kelud is a valuable source of livelihood to me and my family," Harjito Huda, a sand miner from Ngancar village, said. [Source: Niniek Karmini, Associated Press, February 15, 2014]

Kelud’s Catastrophic 1919 Eruption

On 19 May 1919 Kelud was the site of one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions of the twentieth century, killing over 5100 people when water ejected from the crater lake formed lethal lahars that travelled nearly 40 kilometres and destroyed more than 100 villages. The powerful explosion reportedly could be heard hundreds of kilometers away. According to Volcanism blog: “The 1919 eruption is interesting not only for itself but for the response it generated. At the time Java was under Dutch colonial rule, and the Dutch authorities reacted to the disaster both institutionally, by establishing the forerunner of today’s Indonesian volcanological authority, and technologically, by creating a drainage system intended to manage the hazard posed by the crater lake. [Source: Volcanism blog]

The presence of a substantial crater lake has been the main reason why Kelud is a very lahar-prone volcano, but also significant are its deeply eroded flanks and abundance of loose sediment. During the May 1919 eruption 38 million cubic metres of water was expelled from the crater lake, radiating out through the deep drainage channels and accumulating vast quantities of sediment and volcanic material to produce fast-moving lahars that inundated over 30 square kilometres of the surrounding countryside.

Even before the 1919 catastrophe the colonial authorities recognized the danger Kelud posed and had, in 1905, constructed a dyke intended to protect the nearby city of Blitar. The 1919 lahars, however, overwhelmed this construction. The Dutch response was to abandon the mitigation of lahars and concentrate instead on preventing them developing by enabling the drainage of the crater lake. The work took until 1926 to complete: a system of seven drainage tunnels was constructed, which reduced the volume of the lake by more than 2 million cubic metres, lowering the level by 50 metres.

In 1951 the volcano erupted again, but the successful operation of the drainage system meant that little water was present in the crater and no lahars resulted. A second catastrophe had been averted. The eruption itself, however, deepened the lake and destroyed the drainage tunnels. Only after another deadly eruption in 1966, in which more than 200 people died, was a new deeper tunnel excavated. The most recent large-scale eruption, in 1990, would certainly have been much more destructive to life and property had the crater lake not been largely drained. The autumn 2007 eruption built a lava dome that fills the crater lake site and has overwhelmed the drainage inlets. Volcanic lake specialists at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium are currently collaborating with the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia in monitoring Kelud. Le volcan Kelud – account of the 1919 eruption and a detailed history, with illustrations, of the various drainage systems built since to drain the crater lake (in French).

Mount Galunggung

Mount Galunggung is an active stratovolcano in West Java, located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southeast of Bandung and 17 kilometers (11 miles) from Tasikmalaya. Rising 2,167 meters above sea level, Mount Galunggung is famous for its unique horseshoe-shaped caldera and lush green crater lake. Around 4,200 years ago, a massive volcanic flank collapse created a debris avalanche that spread over 170 square kilometers. This created the rugged, hummocky landscape below the mountain known as the "Ten Thousand Hills of Tasikmalaya". [Source: Wikipedia, Indonesia Tourism; thebangkong blog]

A hummocky deposit known as the Ten Thousand Hills of Tasikmalaya attracted the attention of early 20th century geologists. Houses were built on the hummocks since they provided good defence against hostile people, and being above the paddy fields were free of mosquitoes and rats. Originally, it was thought that the hills had been formed by a lahar caused by the release of the waters of the crater lake, or that were man-made; composed of rocks and boulders dumped there after being cleared from paddy fields. However, in the light of the Mount St. Helens eruption of 1980 and from examination of the Mount Shasta deposits, it has become clear that the hummocks are a debris-avalanche deposit.

Mount Galunggung is an easy trip from Tasikmalaya by minibus or motorcycle. The summit can be reached via a two hour walk. Visitors can climb a famously steep stairway (approximately 500 to 620 steps, depending on the route) to reach the rim of the main crater.Crater Lake & Facilities: The top features a breathtaking view of the inner caldera and a crater lake. There are small local food stalls and viewpoints available.Hot Springs: At the base of the mountain, visitors can relax in volcanic hot spring baths and swimming pools.

Mount Galunggung Eruptions

Mount Galunggung is one of the world’s deadliest volcanoes, killing 4,011 people when it erupted in 1822. In 1982 an eruption killed 18 people and caused a major ashfall, forced the temporary evacuation of dozens of villages, and made aviation history when a British Airways flight temporarily lost power in all four engines after flying through its ash cloud. An eruption in 1990 and produced ash that spread over much of Indonesia and reached neighboring countries [Source: Wikipedia, Indonesia Tourism; thebangkong blog]

The 1982 eruption had a Volcanic Explosivity Index of four. Two Boeing 747 passenger jets flying downwind of the eruption suffered temporary engine failures and damage to exterior surfaces, both planes made emergency landings at Jakarta. One, a British Airways aircraft carrying 240 passengers, accidentally entered the ash cloud during the night in June 1982 150 kilometers downwind of the volcano. All four engines failed and the aircraft descended for 16 minutes, losing 7500 meters of its 11500 meter altitude, until the crew managed to restart the engines. The following month a Singapore Airlines plane with 230 passengers aboard also inadvertently entered the cloud at night time, and three of its four engines stopped. The crew succeeded in restarting one of the engines after descending 2400 meters. Both aircraft suffered serious damage to their engines and exterior surfaces.

Like Mt. St. Helens and Mt Shasta Galunggung has a horseshoe-shaped crater indicating a massive landslide, and examination of shattered lava blocks revealed them to be similar to deposits on the other two volcanoes. According to radiocarbon dating of samples taken from a lava flow the landslide happened within the last 23,000 years.

Mount Papandayan

Mount Papandayan is a highly accessible and picturesque active stratovolcano in West Java, Indonesia, rising to 2,665 meters (8,743 feet). Renowned as a beginner-friendly hike, its surreal, other-worldly landscape features vibrant yellow sulfur craters, bubbling mud pools, steaming hot springs, the ghost-like "Dead Forest" (a woodland decimated by a 2002 eruption), and Tegal Alun, a vast field of blooming edelweiss.

Mount Papandayan is also one of the world’s deadliest volcanoes. An eruption in 1772 killed 2,957 people. On August 11–12, 1772, an eruption triggered a catastrophic northeast flank collapse. The resulting debris avalanche traveled 11 kilometers, burying 40 villages.

Mount Papandayan is situated in the Garut Regency, roughly 25 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of the town of Garut, and 70 kilometers (43 miles) southeast of Bandung. The well-marked trails make it one of the easiest and most popular mountains in Indonesia for families, beginners, and seniors. A standard trek to the campsites and points of interest takes about 4 to 5 hours. The summit features four large craters—Kawah Mas, Kawah Baru, Kawah Nangklak, and Kawah Manuk—that constantly emit smoke, hot fumes, and glowing sulfur vapor against striking yellow mineral walls. The Dead Forest (Hutan Mati) is a striking, hauntingly beautiful valley of scorched, bleached tree skeletons left behind by a 2002 eruptionAn expansive alpine meadow located past the Dead Forest known for its edelweiss flowers.

Mt. Bromo

Mount Bromo (near the town of Probolinggo, two hours from Surabaya) is a 2,329-meter-high (7,641 foot-high),very active volcanic peak. One of Java’s most popular tourist destinations, it lies at the top of a massive volcano known as Tengger with other volcanic peaks inside a "Sea of Sand”—a huge 5½ miles long and 4½ miles wide caldera filled with fine black volcanic debris. Although Bromo doesn't erupt with the deadly force that Mt. Merapti does it is still dangerous.

Mt. Bromo (meaning "The Fire") is a 650-foot-high cone striped with yellow sulphur deposits. Smoke is constantly spilling out of the crater. Periodically it erupts small amounts of ash and debris. Bromo is one of three major craters and many more minor ones that emerge from the Sea of Sand. One is called Bataok ("The Bride"). It is 2,440 meters high. The quiescent one with the perfect cone is Kursi ("The Cup"). It is 2,581 meters high.

Bromo is a stratovolcano and an active cone inside the giant Tengger caldera, one of Indonesia's most scenic locations destination in East Java, famous for its magnificient sunrise views and the panorama over the caldera with Semeru volcano in the background.

Mt. Bromo is sacred to the Tenggerese people of eastern Java, many of whom live on Tengger’s slopes. During the Kasada Festival they make offerings of animals, meat, money and vegetables to encourage the volcano to keep it calm (See Festivals). When the volcano starts to rumble, the local population doesn't try to escape, instead they go to the top to make offerings to placate the volcano God.

The Tenggerese and other people in the region have attached a number of myths to the mountain. According to one Tenggerese story the caldera was created by an ogre—in love with a princess—who dug out the whole thing with half of a coconut shell. The Tenggerese believe that the childless rulers of a small kingdom—King Joko Seger and Queen Roro—asked the god of the volcano. He fulfilled the request with 25 children but demanded that the youngest and most handsome one, Dian Kesuma, be offered as a sacrifice. When the queen refused to go along, Dian bravely offered himself to save the kingdom.

Semeru Volcano

Gugung Semeru (a few kilometers from Bromo) is the highest mountain in Java at 3,676 meters high. It is often puffing out smoke and regarded as one of one of the most dangerous volcanos in Indonesia. Hindus call it Mahameru, a reference to Mt. Meru, the center of the Hindu universe. It is also regarded as the father of Gunung Agung in Bali. Semeru’s first recorded eruption was in 1818. In 1981, an eruption killed 250 people. In March 2002, two pyroclastic flows traveled 2½ kilometers down the mountainside and access to the crater was closed. In the early 2000s it was erupting about every 30 minutes, sending out smoke, gas and molten rock.

Semeru is a stratovolcano that has been erupting in almost continuously since 1967. It lies at the southern end of a volcanic massif extending north to the Tengger caldera. Semeru, a favourite mountain trekking destination. It is known for its regular ash explosions that typically occur at intervals of 10-30 minutes. The steep-sided volcano rises abruptly to 3676 meters above coastal plains to the south. Gunung Semeru was constructed south of the overlapping Ajek-ajek and Jambangan calderas. A line of lake-filled maars was constructed along a N-S trend cutting through the summit, and cinder cones and lava domes occupy the eastern and northeast flanks. Summit topography is complicated by the shifting of craters from northwest to southeast. Frequent 19th and 20th century eruptions were dominated by small-to-moderate explosions from the summit crater, with occasional lava flows and larger explosive eruptions accompanied by pyroclastic flows that have reached the lower flanks of the volcano. [Source: Volcano Discovery ~~]

Blue Fires at Ijen Volcano

Ijen Volcano is famous for its blue fire which sometimes emerges from a dripping, glowing blue globs. Since National Geographic mentioned the electric-blue flame of Ijen, tourist numbers have increased. The phenomenon has occurred for a long time, but beforehand there was no midnight hiking. A two-hour hike is required to reach the rim of the crater, followed by a 45-minute hike down to the bank of the crater. The blue fire is ignited sulfuric gas, which emerges from cracks at temperatures up to 600 °C (1,112 °F). [Source: Wikipedia]

The flames can be up to five meters (16 feet) high; some of the gas condenses to liquid and is still ignited. It is the largest blue flame area in the world and local people refer to it as Api Biru (Blue Fire), the other location at which the blue fire can be seen is in Dallol mountain, Ethiopia.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993; “Culture and Customs of Indonesia” by Jill Forshee, Greenwood Press, 2006; National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Encyclopedia.com, Library of Congress, Indonesia Tourism website (indonesia.travel), Indonesia government websites, Live Science, The Conversation, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Google AI, Wikipedia, The Guardian and various websites, books and other publications.

Last updated May 2026