Indonesia's Mount Marapi Erupts Again, Spews Ash 600 Meters High
Reporter
January 26, 2026 | 03:34 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Mount Marapi in West Sumatra, Indonesia, erupted again on Monday, January 26, 2026, at around 11:11 AM local time, sending a column of volcanic ash up to 600 meters above the crater.
The eruption generated seismic vibrations with a maximum amplitude of 30.4 millimeters and lasted for 34 seconds, according to seismograph records.
An officer from the Mount Marapi Volcano Observation Post, Ahmad Rifandi, said the ash plume was gray and dense, drifting toward the northeast. He reported the eruption to the Geological Agency shortly after it occurred.
A day earlier, the 2,891-meter-high volcano erupted at 2:32 p.m. local time. Although the eruption was not visually observed, seismograph data recorded vibrations with a maximum amplitude of 27.5 millimeters and a duration of about 28 seconds.
The Head of the Geological Agency, Lana Saria, said Mount Marapi remains at Alert Level II (Caution). She urged local residents and climbers to avoid all activities within a 3-kilometer radius of the volcano’s activity center, including the Verbeek Crater.
Lana also warned residents living along valleys and riverbanks originating from the Verbeek Crater to remain alert to the risk of volcanic mudflows, or lahars, particularly during the rainy season.
“In the event of ashfall, the public is advised to wear face masks to prevent respiratory problems,” Lana said.
Mount Marapi is administratively located in Agam and Tanah Datar regencies, West Sumatra. One of its most significant recent eruptions occurred on December 3, 2023, when ash rose as high as 3 kilometers. Since early January 2026, the Geological Agency has recorded nine eruptions at Mount Marapi.
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