Feb 3, 2014
Mount Sinabung (Indonesian: Gunung Sinabung) is a Pleistocene-to-Holocene stratovolcano
of andesite
and dacite in
the Karo plateau of Karo Regency, North Sumatra,
Indonesia,
25 miles from Lake Toba
supervolcano.
Many old lava flows
are on its flanks and the last known eruption, before recent times, occurred in
the year 1600. Solfataric activities (cracks where steam, gas, and lava are emitted) were
last observed at the summit in 1912; recent documented events include an
eruption in the early hours of 29 August 2010 and eruptions in September and
November 2013, January and February 2014.
Geology
For more details on this topic, see List of volcanoes in Indonesia.
Most of Indonesian volcanism stems
from the Sunda Arc,
created by the subduction of the Indo-Australian Plate under the Eurasian
Plate. This arc is bounded on the north-northwest by the Andaman
Islands, a chain of basaltic volcanoes, and on the East by the Banda Arc,
also created by subduction.
Sinabung is an andesitic-dacitic stratovolcano
with a total of four volcanic craters, only one being active.
Eruptions
August 2010
On 29 August 2010 (local time), the volcano experienced a
minor eruption after several days of rumbling.
Ash spewed into the atmosphere up to 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) high
and lava was seen overflowing the crater.
The volcano had been inactive for over
four centuries, with the most recent eruption
occurring in 1600. On 31 August 6,000 of
the 30,000 villagers who had been evacuated returned to their homes. The
volcano was assigned to category “B” In Indonesia, as it had been inactive for
more than 400 years (volcanoes in category “A”, must be monitored frequently). The
Indonesian Red Cross Society and the Health
Ministry of Indonesia sent doctors and medicines to the region. The National
Disaster Management Agency provided face masks and food to assist the
evacuees
September 2010
On Friday 3 September, two more eruptions were noted. The first happened at
4:45 am in the morning, forcing more villagers to leave their houses - some of
them had just returned the day before. This eruption was the most intense so
far, with ash spewed up into the atmosphere about 3.0 kilometres (1.9 mi)
high. Some hours before the eruption a warning had been issued through the
volcanology agency, and most villagers were prepared to leave quickly. A second
eruption occurred the same evening, around 6 pm. The eruption came with
earthquakes which could be noticed out to a 25.0 kilometres (15.5 mi)
distance around the volcano
On Tuesday 7 September, Mount Sinabung erupted yet again, its biggest
eruption yet since it had become active on 29 August 2010 and experts warned of
more blasts to come. Indonesia's chief vulcanologist, Surono, said "It was
the biggest eruption yet and the sound was heard from 8 kilometres away. The
smoke was 5,000 metres in the air". Heavy rain mixed with the ash to form
muddy coatings, a centimetre thick, on buildings and trees. Electricity in one
village was cut off, but there were no casualties
Government response
The Indonesian government was reported to have evacuated around 17,500 people from the region on and around the volcano. The government issued the highest-level warning for the area, which was expected to remain in force for around a week, since scientists were unfamiliar with the characteristics of the volcano, due to it having been dormant for so long. The government also set up kitchens for refugees to have access to food and handed out 7,000 masks. Over 10,000 people have been internally evacuated after the eruption, Secretary of the provincial administration, Edy Sofyan told Xinhua by phone. Spokesman of National Disaster Management Agency Priyadi Kardono said the eruption had not been predicted earlier like other volcanoes and that authorities must conduct a quick preparation for emergency work because Mount Sinabung’s seismic activity has been monitored intensively only since Friday after it showed an increase in activity.
Effects
The towns nearest to the volcano are Kabanjahe
and Berastagi.
There were no disruptions reported to air services at the regional airport,
Medan's Polonia. One person was
reported dead due to the eruption; he had respiratory problems while fleeing
his home.
September 2013
On Sunday 15 September 2013, the volcano erupted at around 3 a.m local time.
More than 3,700 people were evacuated from areas within a 3 kilometre (2 mile)
radius of the volcano, and five halls normally used for traditional cultural
ceremonies were converted into shelters with at least 1,500 being temporarily
housed.
November 2013
The volcano erupted again on 5 November 2013, for the third time in as many
months, forcing hundreds of villagers to evacuate.
This volcano spewed a 7 km (4.3 mile) column of ash into the air, prompting
authorities to impose a 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) evacuation radius.
The military helped evacuate 1,293 people from four villages around the
volcano, which is 88 km (55 mi) from the provincial capital, Medan.
The number of evacuees was expected to rise.
No casualties were reported.
About 14,000 people were forced the evacuate when the volcano showed signs
of activity in September. Sinabung is one of nearly 130 active volcanoes in the
world's fourth-most populated country, which straddles the "Pacific Ring of Fire".
On 11 November 2013, a pyroclastic flow, a fast-moving avalanche of ash,
lava fragments and air, was seen racing down the peak. Since then, the volcano
has blasted out one to two ash explosions every day.
December 2013
By 28 December 2013 a lava dome had formed on the summit.
January 2014
On 4 January 2014 the volcano erupted again. "Mount Sinabung, which has
erupted over a hundred times between Jan. 4 through the morning of Jan. 5 is
spewing out a 4,000 metre [(13,000 ft)] high column of ash damaging property
and crops and poisoning animals over a wide radius.”
February 2014
On 1 February 2014 a further eruption occurred that sent clouds of hot
ash 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) into the air and engulfed nearby villages.
Reports claim that at least 14 people died as a result of the eruption, which
occurred just after residents living more than five kilometers from the
mountain had been allowed to return home following a lack of recent volcanic
inactivity.
Among the dead were a local television journalist and four high-school students
along with their teacher, who were visiting the mountain to see the eruptions
up close. Seven of the victims were members of the Indonesian Christian Student
Movement (GMKI), who died while trying to save local residents as pyroclastic flows
swept across Mount Sinabung.
Title : Eruption Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra
Create By Haris Muzakki
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