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Indonesian volcano erupting slowly: volcanologist
Blitar, Indonesia (AFP) Nov 7, 2007 A massive island that has risen from the crater lake of a steaming Indonesian volcano consists of new lava that has gradually erupted from its core, a volcanologist said Wednesday. Mount Kelut in Indonesia's East Java has been on high alert for three weeks, with scientists fearing the peak could explode, putting at risk thousands of lives. "The lava has been coming out through the cracks in the old lava from the 1990 eruption and created a new lava dome which is now 70 metres (230 feet) high," volcanologist Saut Simatupang told AFP. The dome first appeared on Saturday night, when volcanologists mistakenly thought a large eruption was occurring so they abandoned their posts. Simatupang said that the volcano had been making an "effusive" eruption, meaning the energy release has been gradual and not strong enough to dramatically tear through the frozen magma left behind after the last eruption, which killed 34. "As the energy is not quite strong enough, the lava has only snuck through the cracks and continuously grown inside the crater's lake," he added. Simatupang said that the lava dome was now 150 metres in diameter. The lava could stop growing and form a large dome on the mountain's peak, or it could spill over the edge and rush down Mount Kelut's slopes, he warned. Since records began, Mount Kelut's eruptions have claimed more than 15,000 lives, including an estimated 10,000 in a catastrophic 1586 eruption. A 1919 eruption spewed heat clouds that killed 5,160 people. Indonesia sits on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," where several continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters When the Earth Quakes A world of storm and tempest
'Island' emerges in Indonesian volcano crater
Blitar, Indonesia (AFP) Nov 6, 2007An island that has emerged in the middle of the crater lake of Indonesia's Mount Kelut may have been effectively plugging the volcano but it could be dislodged, scientists warned Tuesday. |
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