Bali volcano update: Where is Mount Agung? How many volcanoes are in Indonesia?
Mount Agung has burst back to life and erupted yet again, spewing a 2,500m ash cloud into the air. The latest eruption happened at 12.20pm local time on Wednesday (5.20am BST) and lasted for one minute and 58 seconds. Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM) reported the ash plume rose 8,202 feet above the mountain’s peak. The CVGHM and other relevant officials have warned people to evacuate from the area and avoid any activities, including hiking, within a 4km radius from the peak of the mountain.
The statement said: “Residents who live or have activities near rivers around Mount Agung must watch for the potential cold lava flows that might occur during the rainy season, particularly when the eruption materials remain near the peak. Authorities have maintained the alert level for Mount Agung at level three of the four-tiered national volcano alert system. Where is Mount Agung? Mount Agung is the highest mountain on the island of Bali and the fifth highest volcano in the whole of Indonesia. It is situated 612 miles (984km) from Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta and 11 miles (18km) from Bali’s other volcano, Mount Batur.
Getty Bali volcano update: Where is Mount Agung? How many volcanoes are in Indonesia?
The volcano is also known as Gunung Agung and is a stratovolcano and the highest point on Bali. The volcano slopes towards the Bali Sea to the north-east and in the south-east there is a row of small extinct volcanic cones. Agung volcano is separated by a narrow valley from Mount Batur and is one of many volcanoes in Indonesia which has few written records, due to the long period of dormancy. How many volcanoes are in Indonesia? Indonesia has around 400 volcanoes and out of these, 127 are active - about a third of all the world’s active volcanoes.
Getty Bali volcano update: The eruptions have led to fires at the summit of Mount Agung
The country is home to two of the biggest eruptions of modern times, that of Tambora in 1815 and the second-biggest, of Krakatoa in 1883. Mount Agung’s previous eruption in 1963 was the most explosive of the 20th century in Indonesia. Most volcanoes in Indonesia belong to the Sunda Volcanic Arc, stretching over 3,000km from north-west Sumatra to the Banda Sea. Indonesia has the largest number of historically active volcanoes and has suffered the highest number of eruptions producing fatalities, mudflows, tsunamis and pyroclastic flows.
Getty Bali volcano update: The volcano burst back to life last week
The most striking pictures from Mount Agung's eruption Mon, July 2, 2018 Extraordinary pictures show Bali's Mount Agung erupting again. Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 28 Mount Agung erupts as its lava incubation reaches 2000 meter distance, in Bali