North Sulawesi`s Mt. Lokon Volcanic Activity Intensifies

TEMPO.CO, Tomohon - Head of Mt. Lokon Volcano Surveillance Post Farid R Bina in Kakaskasen, Tomohon, South Sulawesi said that the mountain showed increasingly intensive volcanic activity.

"The amplitudes vary and even reach more than 40 millimeters. The increasing volcanic activity began to emerge from Thursday," Farid explained in Tomohon on Saturday, Nov. 4.

He said that despite decreasing intensity on Saturday at 06:00 a.m., it is still above average of five times a day in a normal condition.

"The increasing frequency of earthquake is due to magma and gas migration that flow to the surface," he continued.

Data published by magma.vsi.esdm.go.id reporting Mt. Lokon volcanic activity reveals that on observation period at 12 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday, 21 earthquakes were recorded (amplitude of 10-43 millimeters), as well as one tornillo (amplitude of 41 millimeters) and 100 shallow volcanic tremors (amplitude of 3-20 millimeters).

In addition, there were 35 volcanic earthquakes (amplitude of 12-42 millimeters), five tectonic movements (amplitude of 5-28 millimeters), and continuous tremors with the amplitude of 0.5-2 millimeters.

"Mt. Lokon volcanic activity reaches level II alert," he added.

He expects local people and tourists to not approach the volcano mountain and do any activities in 1.5-kilometer radius from Tompaluan crater.

ANTARA