Eruption in Bali, what category of volcano. Activity at Bali's Agung volcano has reached a 'critical stage'

Located in the eastern part of the island of Bali, Agung Volcano is a highly revered and significant place for Indonesians. The local population calls Mount Agung sacred and considers it one of the most important attractions in Indonesia. Every year thousands of tourists came to the foot of the volcano to admire the natural beauty and get in touch with the mystery that shrouds this place. This was the case until September 2017, when seismologists recorded strong tremors at the foot of the mountain.

Eruption of Mount Agung

People on duty at the observation post witnessed the release of a steam plume on September 29, 2017. However, no ash clouds were observed. Exactly the same plume of steam was noticed 3 weeks later. At the foot of the mountain at this time, 1052 tremors were recorded.

On November 21, 2017, the Indonesian disaster management agency issued a volcanic warning level four. This level indicated that a volcanic explosion could occur in the very near future. At the same time, at the end of November 2017, none of the experts could confidently name the exact date of the volcanic eruption.

Seismologists recorded the eruption of Mount Agung on November 21. On this day, volcanic ash rose to a height of approximately 700 meters from the crater. On November 27, the eruption repeated. Above sacred mountain The smoke column rose to a height of 4000 meters from the crater. In connection with this, the eruption was assigned a maximum level of danger.

Indonesians living within a 7.5 km radius of Mount Agung were urgently evacuated. People were given special breathing masks. Some villages located in close proximity to the volcano were covered with a layer of ash. Despite the current situation, the authorities were unable to force some local residents urgently leave their homes. People did not want to leave their pets unattended and evacuate to more safe places for life.

But after the tallest smoke plume was recorded over the Bali volcano on November 27, seismologists have come to the general conclusion that a larger volcanic eruption, which could occur in the very near future, is almost inevitable.

In November 2017, approximately 40,000 Indonesians fled their homes that were in close proximity to the volcano. They set up temporary camps after being around sacred mountain Agung, an exclusion zone was established, the length of which, according to various sources, reaches 10-12 km.

Fire flashes over the Agung volcano on the island of Bali were observed at night. The Indonesian Disaster Prevention Agency has made statements that it is very dangerous to be in the exclusion zone. Villages located within a radius of up to 10 km were covered with a dense layer of thick ash, which made visibility very difficult. The evacuation of people continued constantly.

The sky above the volcano was covered with clouds of ash. Ash thrown into the air is known to cause damage to aircraft engines. Due to the current conditions, dozens of flights were canceled every day.

The chronology of events taking place on the island of Bali has been compiled from September 2017 to the present:

Late September 2017: a deep crack, about 80 m long, was formed in the crater of the volcano. Experts calculated that there may be about 15 million m³ of magma inside the volcano, which moves towards the crater, but cannot find a way out.
Early October 2017: for 2 weeks, earthquakes regularly occur near the volcano, which indicate that magma cannot escape, breaking through the interfering solidified lava.
November 27, 2017: seismologists set danger level 4; a magma eruption is expected any day now. Ngurah Rai Airport is closed due to the current situation. The volcano smokes and releases huge columns of ash. Lava eruptions are observed at night.
November 30, 2017: a column of light gray ash appeared above the crater. In the afternoon, the amount of ash emissions decreased significantly. The airport has resumed its operations.
Early December 2017: there are no visual signs of volcanic activity; transparent water vapor periodically appears, spreading over a distance of up to 1.5 km.
Mid-December 2017: experts noted a sharp reduction in harmful emissions, the height of the ash column decreased to 500-1000 m. Seismologists reduced the danger level to two.
Late December 2017 – mid-January 2018: most of the time the volcano is in a calm state, but sometimes ash columns are released, 2-3 thousand m high.
Mid-February 2018: the situation continues to remain calm, and therefore local authorities allowed Indonesians to return to their homes.
March 2018: after a relative calm that lasted several months, the volcano began to be active again.

Agung's last eruption occurred in 1963. The natural disaster claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people.

Actual news

On March 15, the following news arrived from the island of Bali: on this moment The Indonesian Disaster Management Agency again recorded a small eruption of Mount Agung. Grayish smoke appeared from the crater of the volcano; the maximum height of the smoke column was approximately 700 m.

Authorities urge local residents not to lose calm and not succumb to general panic. The exclusion zone currently reaches 6-7.5 km.

According to Indonesia's chief seismologist, there are many examples in which the peak of volcanic activity lasted for 6 years. A large-scale eruption, destroying everything in its path, may ultimately not exist at all. After the specified period, the activity of tremors gradually begins to subside.

Is it possible to fly on vacation?

Due to the latest news, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a special warning for tourists who are currently in Bali. According to this warning, if ash clouds appear from the crater of a volcano, before leaving for the airport, the tourist must coordinate departure from the country with his travel agent or airline representatives.

The Russian embassy in Indonesia calls on Russian citizens to temporarily refrain from traveling to Bali.

Volcano Batur

Highest point yet famous volcano in Bali, which is called Batur, is located at an altitude of 1717 m above sea level. Batur has three craters that periodically emit small bursts of grayish smoke and ash, and tremors can be felt at the base of the volcano. The top of the volcano is covered with dark spots. These are traces of solidified lava that remained after destructive volcanic eruptions that date back to 1917, 1926-1929, 1947 and 2000.

In 2000, the smoke column rose 300 m above the crater. There was no serious damage, but the Indonesians were very alarmed by the activity of the volcano, because until that moment no eruptions had been observed for half a century. Seismic activity was recorded by specialists in the fall of 2009. For several months, there was an increase in volcanic activity, but by the summer of 2010, seismologists made a statement that an eruption of the Batur volcano was not expected in the near future.

Indonesians use numerous rituals to appease the spirits of Mount Batur. The territory in which it is located is very revered by local residents. No wonder a large number of temples were built along its perimeter. To avoid volcanic activity, Indonesians held a special ceremony. The people sewed a large sarong and wrapped it around Mount Batur. They prayed at the foot of the volcano and came to him with offerings.

Climbing volcanoes

Does not require any specific preparation. However, it is not recommended to climb to heights on your own. Before you start climbing, you need to find an experienced guide. You can climb the Batur volcano within two hours, making several stops along the way for a short rest and a snack.

Guides accompanying tourists to the volcano crater must have a walkie-talkie with them in order to signal for help if necessary. These people are well versed in the area and know how to reach the volcano crater in the shortest possible way.

The main experience for which people strive to get to the top of the volcano is the sunrise. The sunrise seen in the crater of the volcano will remain in the memory for a long time, and the magnificent photographs taken in this place will leave the best memories of your trip to Bali.

This is the second eruption of the Agung stratovolcano over the past week. The first happened on November 21 - then smoke from the volcano rose to a height of 700 meters from the crater. The disaster management agency assessed the volcano's activity level as four out of four. On Sunday, a column of smoke from the crater rose to a height of four thousand meters, and therefore the eruption was assigned the highest (red) threat level for air transport.

First, Indonesian authorities closed the airport on the island of Lombok after the second eruption. And then it was closed international Airport in Bali at 6 p.m., reported SBS News.

However, the event itself is not extraordinary for a region that was essentially formed as a result of volcanic activity.

As former RIA Novosti correspondent Mikhail Tsyganov, who has lived in Bali for a long time, said, there are about 600 volcanoes in Indonesia, of which about 130 are active. “I am 25 kilometers from the crater of the volcano. It can be seen differently depending on the weather. Usually it is visible in the morning and late in the evening. Yesterday I saw it perfectly. Today the top was closed,” he said.

No panic

According to Tsyganov, local residents, and most tourists, perceive what is happening calmly and do not panic. “Panic is observed mainly in the media, especially on television, which loves bright pictures, and among some tourists who have not yet fully figured out where they ended up,” he explained.

Last day of Bali. How to avoid becoming a victim of a volcanic eruption

On the island of Bali, popular destination for tourists from all over the world, is about to wake up ancient volcano, dormant for more than half a century. Now there are a huge number of tourists there, including residents of Russia. 360 hopes everyone can get out of the eruption before it starts, but we've put together some guidance on how to stay as safe as possible before, during and after the disaster.

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What's happening? Volcano Agung on the island of Bali (Indonesia), dormant since 1963, has begun to awaken, with giant columns of ash flying from its vent into the air. The country's authorities announced the need to evacuate 100 thousand people from the surrounding area. Of these, more than 50 thousand are tourists, among whom there are Russians (300 people only according to official data). At the same time, the airport in Denpasar, largest city islands, stopped flights due to ash. They are scheduled to resume on Tuesday, but depending on the situation, this decision may be postponed.

How likely is a major eruption? The volcano has been assigned the fourth - highest - threat level. The previous eruption of Agung in 1963 killed about 1,700 people, but it is poorly known what signs preceded its eruption. Now the ash is rising to a height of more than three kilometers, the Indonesian Volcanology Center has announced the threat of a pyroclastic flow: a mixture of high-temperature volcanic gases, ash and lava, the speed of which can reach 700 kilometers per hour.

How is the evacuation going? Just last week, when the volcano just started spitting out ash, about 25 thousand people ran away. Now the sounds made by the volcano can be heard 11 kilometers around Agung, and the authorities are already talking about the need to remove 100 thousand people. It is noteworthy that 145 thousand people left their homes back in September, when seismic activity around the volcano increased sharply, but everyone returned in October, when the danger seemed to have subsided.

What signs indicate that you should immediately leave the eruption zone? It is necessary to listen carefully to the warnings of volcanologists and services responsible for evacuation. They have more information than an individual tourist or even a local resident, explains volcanologist, doctor of geological and mineralogical sciences Pavel Plechov. Only experts can determine areas that are safe during an eruption. If a person suddenly finds himself in a place where there are no appropriate warnings and services, he just needs to leave the possible disaster zone as quickly as possible, go 10 kilometers from a living volcano.

How to survive if you are still in the zone of a volcanic eruption? The most important thing is to protect the airways. Volcanic ash is very dangerous for mucous membranes. Essentially, it is very finely crushed glass with sharp edges. To avoid inhaling ash, you need to cover yourself with cotton-gauze bandages or something similar, or at least a rag moistened with water, notes Pchelov. Water must be filtered and all hygienic precautions must be observed. There is no need to be afraid of lava; in the entire history of mankind, only a few have died from it during eruptions. However, it is better not to go down into lowlands and river valleys, because pyroclastic flows will go there first.

What should be done after the eruption? Again, all sanitary standards must be no less strictly observed - filter water, check the freshness of food, and under no circumstances eat anything covered with volcanic ash, Pchelov emphasizes. In general, if it is possible to stay in a safe room, it is better to stay there until the relevant services announce that you can go outside (via radio, Internet or something else). And even then, before you go out, you need to make sure that your body is completely covered, from head to toe, and your airways are covered - the air after an eruption is no less toxic than during it.

Volcanoes in Bali are three peaks located in the central and eastern parts islands. Two of them are active. There are also several dozen extinct and sleeping ones. They form a large mountain range in the central part of the island. The mountains in Bali are sacred and play an important role in the religious practices of the locals. In recent decades, the peaks have become popular among tourists.

You can learn more about them by clicking on one of the names below. And in this article I want to talk about general characteristics all the mountains and volcanoes of the island, as well as what they might be interesting for.

The island's attractions are very diverse. There are ancient temples and beautiful natural parks, and rivers with waterfalls, and beaches, and much more. Everything on the site interesting places divided into categories. You are currently in the "Mountains and Volcanoes" category. To find out about other attractions, go to the “Places by Category” section and click the button with the desired name. You can see the full list of objects by clicking the “All places” button.

Description of volcanoes and mountains

The island of Bali, like all of Indonesia, is part of the huge Pacific Ring of Fire. It is located at the point of contact between oceanic, island and continental lithospheric plates. The ring stretches from New Zealand, through Oceania, the east coast of Asia, Kamchatka, Aleutian Islands And West Coast Northern and South America. The belt is interrupted only off the coast of Antarctica, near the state of California in the USA and Vancouver in Canada.

In the region of the largest ocean on Earth there are three ocean plates - the Pacific itself and two small ones - Nazca and Cocos. Also adjacent here are the Indo-Australian, Philippine and Eurasian plates. Oceanic plates gradually subduct under continental or island plates, since their density is higher. Sometimes it even sinks into the earth's mantle. This phenomenon is called subduction. It leads to the formation of active volcanoes where lithospheric plates interact, and earthquakes constantly occur here. Thus, 75% of all active volcanoes on our planet are located in the Pacific Belt of Fire and almost 90% of earthquakes are recorded.

Bali is located in the subduction zone of the Indo-Australian and Pacific plates under the Sunda plate (part of the Eurasian plate). At the bottom of the ocean, at the junction of lithospheric plates, the Sunda or Java Trench is formed with high seismic and volcanic activity. The geological age of the Bali mountains is relatively young (approximately 200-500 million years, some mountains were formed 20 million years ago). They belong to the Paleozoic, Mesozoic era, Neogene and Quaternary periods.

Now I will tell you about the volcanoes and mountains themselves.

General characteristics of mountains and volcanoes

The mountain range stretches from west to east, dividing the island into northern and southern parts, and significantly influences the climate. In the northern half it is dry, in the southern half it is wet. That is why there are more rivers in the south, more developed Agriculture related to rice cultivation and irrigation. It is much colder in the mountains than on the plains. There is a lot of precipitation here and there are dense fogs. If you are going on an excursion to mountainous areas, bring warm clothes.

All mountains and volcanoes on the island can be characterized by the following parameters:

By height
On infrastructure development

1. Height

Here we can roughly distinguish three types:

More than 2,000 meters – 7 peaks
More than 1,000 meters, but less than 2,000 meters – 22 peaks
Less than 1,000 meters - the exact number is unknown, since this definition includes small hills and elevations that are difficult to count

All active volcanoes in Bali are over 1,000 meters high; the tallest of them is , its height is 3,142 meters. , which is located in the caldera of the Bratan volcano, is the second highest (2276 meters). Batur ranks only 13th among all peaks, its height is 1717 meters. On the edge of its caldera there is another peak, Abang. She is part of the old big volcano. The height of Abang is 215 2 meters.

2. Infrastructure:

Absent
Such peaks are rarely visited by tourists. Their slopes are overgrown with forest, there are almost no paths or they are difficult to climb. On the top or slope there may be small temples or altars, often dilapidated and rarely visited.

Poorly developed infrastructure
Most often, such mountains are found in the north of the island. Near their foot there are always 1-2 villages, at the top there is a small temple. Sometimes on the slopes you can see rice terraces, coffee plantations, orchards. There are narrow roads and hiking trails, but the entire infrastructure is designed exclusively for local residents.

Well developed infrastructure
These are popular peaks among tourists, which are regularly climbed. There are well developed routes here. Near the foot you can find parking lots, cafes, restaurants, and hotels. Local guides offer guiding services. Also included in this category are mountains with large rice terraces and plantations. The infrastructure is also well developed near the large mountain temples, where pilgrims come from all over the island.

Specific characteristics of volcanoes

Almost all the mountains on the island were once volcanoes or formed on the slopes of calderas.

Now there are officially three real volcanoes:

There are some characteristics that can be attributed exclusively to volcanoes. All of them belong to the central type. This means that in the middle of the mountain there is a trench about 20 km deep (this is exactly the thickness of the lithospheric plate in this region). The lower part of the volcanic vent reaches the earth's mantle with magma, the upper part ends with an expansion - a crater. Some volcanoes may form additional craters.

Volcanoes can be classified according to the following criteria:

By activity
By shape
By number of craters
By type of post-volcanic phenomena

Below are described detailed characteristics volcanoes for each category.

1. By activity

Active - erupted within the last 3500 years
Dormant - eruptions occurred in the time interval from 35,00 to 10,000 years
Extinct - have not erupted for more than 10,000 years

As I already said, there are two active volcanoes on the island - and Batur. They are located in the province of Kintamani on east coast. The last eruption of Agung was recorded in 1963. Batur has been active three times in the last 100 years - in 1917, 1963 and 2000. The most destructive eruption occurred in 1917. The last activity of the volcano began in 2017. Read more about this in the section Volcano Agung - news.
The third volcano - Bratan - is considered extinct, its date last eruption unknown. Most likely, it was several thousand years ago.

2. According to the form

Stratovolcanoes
Calderas

The stratovolcano is formed as a result of periodic eruptions; lava, ash and hot slag are deposited in layers on its slopes. The crater at the stratovolcano resembles a funnel with concave edges. Sometimes lava flows out of side cracks, and after it hardens, specific stone corridors are formed on the volcano.

A caldera is a negative landform. It is formed after multiple volcanic eruptions over a short period. Under its base, voids appear into which part of the earth's surface. Often part of the caldera fills with water, forming lakes. Calderas can be seen near the Batur and Bratan volcanoes. Moreover, the Batur caldera is considered one of the largest in the world.