The threat from Agung volcano in Bali is not over

The activity of the Agung volcano in Bali decreased over the weekend, however, volcanologists still fear an explosive eruption similar to that of 1963 which caused many victims.

According to the website of the French Embassy in Indonesia, as of today (11/12/2017), the alert on Mount Agung is still level 4 (the highest level). Local air services remain disrupted due to volcanic ash being projected into the sky. The safety instructions remain the same, namely: it is prohibited to approach less than 8 km around the crater and 10 km in the areas located in the North, North-East, South, South-East and South-West. .

The Agung volcano is often described as capricious by volcanologists who sometimes struggle to predict its future activities. The volcano could at any time have a violent explosive eruption causing fiery clouds (large cloud of burning gases at very high pressure which carries large quantities of recent or old lava debris).

“Continuous ash projections are sometimes accompanied by explosive eruptions and a low rumbling sound,” the National Disaster Management Office said in a statement. “The firelight is increasingly visible at night. This indicates that the conditions for an imminent stronger eruption are met,” he added.

Muddy flows with volcanic rock debris, or lahars according to the Indonesian term, are visible on the flanks of the volcano. It is therefore important for the Indonesian authorities to maintain the state of alert and the safety zone around the volcano. No casualties have been reported at the moment but unfortunately the evacuated families will not be able to return to their homes immediately.

Agung eruption could impact climate

 If the Balinese volcano were to explode, it is a safe bet that this eruption would have a direct impact on the climate. A large explosion could send volcanic debris up to the stratosphere (more than 15 km), thereby reducing the temperature by a tenth of a degree.

The cloud of ash caused by such an eruption would plunge Indonesia under a gray and heavy sky. We will keep you informed of the latest important updates on the volcano.