Indonesia’s Mount Marapi volcano spews volcanic ash

June 17, 2012 – INDONESIA – Mount Marapi in West Sumatra province spewed volcanic ash up to 500 meters into the sky on Sunday morning. “The volcano spewed volcanic ash for about 10 minutes starting at around 08.30 a.m.,” Mubarak, who lived on the slope of the volcano, said on Sunday. “The volcanic ash fell on around the volcano’s slope,” he said.  Before spewing volcanic ash, the 2,891-meter high volcano released white thick smoke as high as 50 meters from its crater, he said. Since its alert status was raised on August 3, 2011, the volcano had spewed white smoke and volcanic ash almost every day, he said. The Bukittinggi Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) still maintains the volcano’s alert status at the second highest alert level. “PVMBG still recommends keeping the volcano at the second highest alert status and declaring it off-limits to anyone climbing within 3 km of its peak,” PVMBG officer Warseno said.  The volcano has spewed thick smoke and volcanic ash almost every day since it began showing signs of increased activity on August 3, 2011. –MCOT

The volcano last erupted in February 2012