Volcanic eruptions coincide in Indonesia, agriculture minister reports no damage so far

Indonesia’s agriculture minister said no reports had reached his ministry of damage to farmland from the recent volcanic activity, while hoping falling ash would not harm crops.

Andi Amran Sulaiman also said food supplies remained safe and that officials had received no reports of possible disruption to commodity supplies. He noted that volcanic ash can sometimes make soil more fertile, but said he hoped it would not cause damage.

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No, no report. But I think it usually can make the soil fertile.

The comments came as Mount Anak Krakatau in Lampung province remained at Level III, or Alert. The volcano had experienced a continuous eruption lasting about 25 hours before returning to a pattern of periodic, lighter eruptions.

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Volcanic ash? Yes, still, yes, but hopefully it will not cause damage.

Lana Saria, head of the Geological Agency at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said the continuous episode ran from 11:07 p.m. local time on September 4 until 12:04 a.m. on September 6. Afterward, monitoring recorded three Strombolian eruptions with black columns. She said the return of those characteristic eruptions was provisionally interpreted as the end of the lengthy continuous episode.

Instrument monitoring on September 6 and 7 still recorded high seismic activity, including eruption, emission, low-frequency, hybrid, continuous tremor, and shallow volcanic earthquakes. The Geological Agency kept the volcano at Level III and said the possibility of eruptions in the coming periods remained high. It identified the main hazards as incandescent rock fragments, heavy ashfall, and possible lava flows if continuous eruptive activity resumes. The agency advised residents, tourists, and climbers not to approach within three kilometers of the activity center. People affected by ash were urged to limit outdoor activity or wear masks to reduce respiratory problems.

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After the continuous eruption episode ended, three Strombolian eruptions with black eruption columns were observed. The return of Strombolian eruptions, which are characteristic of Mount Anak Krakatau, is provisionally interpreted as the end of that relatively long continuous eruption episode.