Report on Soputan (Indonesia) — 17 June-23 June 2015
Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 17 June-23 June 2015
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.
Please cite this report as:
Global Volcanism Program, 2015. Report on Soputan (Indonesia) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 17 June-23 June 2015. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.
Soputan
Indonesia
1.112°N, 124.737°E; summit elev. 1785 m
All times are local (unless otherwise noted)
PVMBG reported that during 10-17 June white plumes were observed rising as high as 500 m above Soputan even though inclement weather sometimes obscured crater views. Variable seismicity was dominated by volcanic earthquakes and signals indicating emissions and avalanches. Low-frequency harmonic tremor was occasionally detected. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-4). Residents and tourists were advised not to approach the craters within a radius of 4 km, or 6.5 km on the WSW flank.
Geological Summary. The Soputan stratovolcano on the southern rim of the Quaternary Tondano caldera on the northern arm of Sulawesi Island is one of Sulawesi's most active volcanoes. The youthful, largely unvegetated volcano is the only active cone in the Sempu-Soputan volcanic complex, which includes the Soputan caldera, Rindengan, and Manimporok (3.5 km ESE). Kawah Masem maar was formed in the W part of the caldera and contains a crater lake; sulfur has been extracted from fumarolic areas in the maar since 1938. Recent eruptions have originated at both the summit crater and Aeseput, a prominent NE-flank vent that formed in 1906 and was the source of intermittent major lava flows until 1924.
Source: Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG, also known as CVGHM)