CVGHM reported that during 22-25 March brownish-gray ash plumes from Tengger Caldera's Bromo cone rose 400-800 m above the crater and drifted SW, NE, and E. Incandescent material was ejected 300 m above the crater, and landed as far as 500 m away during 22-23 March, 300 m away on 24 March, and 250 m away on 25 March. Roaring and booming was also noted. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4). Residents and tourists were not permitted within a 2-km-radius of the active crater.

Based on analyses of satellite imagery, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 27-28 March ash plumes rose to an altitude of 4.3 km (14,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 55 km NE.

Geological Summary. The 16-km-wide Tengger caldera is located at the northern end of a volcanic massif extending from Semeru volcano. The massive volcanic complex dates back to about 820,000 years ago and consists of five overlapping stratovolcanoes, each truncated by a caldera. Lava domes, pyroclastic cones, and a maar occupy the flanks of the massif. The Ngadisari caldera at the NE end of the complex formed about 150,000 years ago and is now drained through the Sapikerep valley. The most recent of the calderas is the 9 x 10 km wide Sandsea caldera at the SW end of the complex, which formed incrementally during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. An overlapping cluster of post-caldera cones was constructed on the floor of the Sandsea caldera within the past several thousand years. The youngest of these is Bromo, one of Java's most active and most frequently visited volcanoes.

Sources: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC), Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG, also known as CVGHM)