Bali Lives on the Ring of Fire

(10/4/2010)

Jakarta Globe reports that Indonesia has twenty-one volcanoes prone to erupt at any time and rain disaster on their surrounding environs. The 21 active mountains – all which have erupted in the past year - number among the 59 known volcanoes in Indonesia.

Listed among the active members of Indonesia's "ring of fire fraternity" is Mount Batur, the 1,717 meter volcano that is a "volcano within a volcano" – sitting at the center of two large concentric caldera at Kintamani, Bali.

Although known to be the site of at least one ancient island-forming cataclysmic explosion, the first historically documented explosion occurred in 1804, with the mountain remaining active to various degrees ever since.

The latest fatality attributed to the Bali mountain is a 25-year-old Swedish tourist who slipped and fell to his death in March of this year. [See: Swedish Man Dies on Mount Batur]

According to a vulcanologist from the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMVG), Hendrasto, 18 of the 21 "active volcanoes" in Indonesia have been raised from a "Level 1" (normal) status to a "Level 2" (beware) classification. The remaining three volcanoes considered "active" are on a "Level 3" (standby) rating – one level short of a full alert at "Level 4."

Standby – Level 3

The three volcanoes now on the "Level 3" rating are Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra, Mount Karangetang on Siau Island in North Sulawesi, and Mount Ibu on Halamahera Island in North Maluku.

Mount Sinabung was only recently moved from "full alert" status following a major eruption in early September that prompted the evacuation of surrounding villages.

Mount Karangetang is considered Indonesia's most violent mountain with an explosion on August 6, 2010, blamed for the deaths of four people.

Beware – Level 2

The distribution nationally of the 18 volcanoes on a "Level 2" or "beware" status are as follows:

• Bali – Mount Batur

• West Java – Mount Papandayan

• Central Java – Mount Merapi and Mount Slamet

• East Java – Mount Semeru and Mount Bromo

• West Sumatra – Mount Talang and Mount Kaba

• Central Sumatra – Mount Kerinci near Jambi

• South Sumatra (Sunda Straits) – Mount Anak Krakatau

• West Nusa Tenggara Province – Mount Rinjani in Lombok and Mount Sangeang Api, located on an island north of Bima, Sumbawa.

• East Nusa Tenggara – Mount Egon on Eastern Flores and Mount Rokatenda on Palu'e Island, north of Flores Island.

• North Sulawesi – Mount Soputan and Mount Lokon

• North Maluku – Mount Dukono and Mount Gamalama