Activity increases at Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau volcano

September 11, 2012 – INDONESIA – Activity at one of Indonesia’s most dreaded volcanoes continues to increase. Ongoing activity by Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has residents of nearby coastal areas concerned as the volcano spewed more lava, officials said. On Monday the volcano in the Sunda Strait spewed hot lava and other volcanic material 2,000 feet above its peak, the Antara news agency reported. “Tremors have not stopped rocking this area since yesterday,” Hamdani, the head of the volcano monitoring post in the village of Hargopancuran, South Lampung, said. Black clouds were obscuring the peak of the volcano, Hamdani said. Officials warned fishermen to stay away from the volcano although they said the ongoing tremors would not cause a tsunami. “But it is difficult to predict Anak Krakatau,” Hamdani said. Krakatau’s explosion in the 18th century, so loud it was heard 1,000 miles away, caused one of history’s most devastating tsunamis. –Spiegel

Vanuatu alert level raised: Geo-hazards officials in Vanuatu have upgraded a volcanic alert for Mt Yasur on Tanna Island to Level Two. They have been assessing the mountain for a month with the director of the Geo-hazards Office in Port Vila, Eslyne Garae, saying there have been fresh eruptions from 3 separate vents on Mt Yasur. She says there is a threat of light to medium ash falls in the visitors’ parking areas and villages close to the volcano. –Radio NZ