Major eruption at Lewotobi volcano claims at least 9 lives, Indonesia
A major eruption took place at Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano, Indonesia on Sunday, November 3, 2024, producing an ash column up to 12.2 km (40 000 feet) above sea level. The Aviation Color Code was raised to Red.
Eruption at Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano on November 3, 2024. Credit: PVBGM
- Lava bombs and volcanic material rained down on villages located up to 4 km (2.1 miles) away, damaging homes and cars, and starting fires.
- At least 9 people have been confirmed killed.
- More than 10 000 people were forced to evacuate to temporary relocation centers.
- The Alert Level was raised to 4 of 4.
According to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (CVGHM), the first eruption took place at 16:57 UTC (23:57 LT) and was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 47.3 mm and a duration of 1 450 seconds, or approximately 24 minutes.
The seismograph data indicating such a high amplitude and prolonged duration reflect a significant release of volcanic energy.
The second eruption started at 18:27 UTC (01:27 LT, November 4) with a maximum amplitude of 17.7 mm and a duration of 180 seconds, or 3 minutes.
According to the Volcanic Ash Advisory released by the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) at 17:07 UTC, the Aviation Color Code was raised to Red.
Satellite imagery from Himawari-9 showed volcanic ash moving northward at approximately 9 km/h (6 mph), with the ash cloud reaching a maximum altitude of 12.2 km (40 000 feet) above sea level.
Forecasts suggest that volcanic ash at lower altitudes, up to approximately 9.8 km (32 000 feet), is expected to drift northwest, while ash at higher altitudes, between 9.8 km and 12.2 km (32 000 and 40 000 feet), will move northeast over the next 18 hours, potentially impacting air traffic hundreds of kilometers from the volcano.
Darwin VAAC advisory issued at 18:07 UTC reports that volcanic ash is moving in two main directions — ash up to approximately 9.1 km (30 000 feet) is drifting north-northwest at a speed of about 9 km/h (5 mph), while higher-altitude ash, reaching up to 12.2 km (40 000 feet), is moving east-northeast at around 18 km/h (11 mph).
The observed ash cloud extends significantly from the volcano’s summit, with satellite imagery from Himawari-9 indicating a strong ash signal. Due to meteorological clouds, some of the ash at lower altitudes is partially obscured in satellite images, but it remains visible due to its distinct infrared temperature readings.
The Alert Level was raised to 4 of 4 and all activities within a 7 km (4 miles) radius were prohibited.
Lava bombs and volcanic debris impacted villages within a 4 km (2.1 miles) radius, causing fires and structural damage.
Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), reported ten confirmed fatalities, with one individual still unaccounted for as of Monday morning, November 4. This number was later revised to 9.
The eruption affected seven villages, leading to the evacuation of over 10 000 residents.
BNPB has cautioned about the possibility of flash floods and cold lava flows in the coming days.
The eruption follows intense explosions on October 31 that generated ash plumes up to 2.5 km (1.5 miles) above sea level, impacting nearby communities.
This series of eruptions began in late October 2024, with regular blasts occurring 3 to 4 times daily. The activity has continued since June 13, when the Alert Level was raised to Level 3 (Siaga).
The Lewotobi volcanic complex is located on the eastern part of Flores Island, Indonesia, and is notable for its distinctive formation of two closely spaced stratovolcanoes, Lewotobi Laki-laki and Lewotobi Perempuan, often referred to as the “husband and wife.”
The two peaks are aligned along a northwest-southeast axis and have summits that lie less than 2 km (1.24 miles) apart. These volcanoes together form a prominent geological structure in the region, both visually and geologically significant due to their individual activity histories.
The Lewotobi Laki-laki (the “husband”) cone to the northwest has been particularly active, with documented eruptions occurring frequently throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. In contrast, Lewotobi Perempuan (the “wife”), which is broader and taller, has had fewer recorded eruptions, with notable events in 1921 and 1935.
The craters at the summits of both cones are open to the north, which influences the direction in which lava flows and ash are likely to be emitted during eruptions. This northward opening has also facilitated the growth of small lava domes in both craters throughout the 20th century.
References:
1 VA Advisory for Lewotobi volcano – Darwin VAAC – Issued at 17:07 UTC on November 3, 2024
2 Eruption updates for Lewotobi Laki-laki – PVMBG – November 3, 2024
3 Lewotobi geological summary – GVP – Accessed November 3, 2024
4 At least 10 dead after volcano erupts in Indonesia – BBC – November 4, 2024
5 10 killed as volcano Lewotobi erupts in central Indonesia – China Daily – November 4, 2024
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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