Today The Geological Agency Lowers The Status Of Mount Awu So Alert

Geological Agency, Ministry Of Energy And Mineral Resources (ESDM) lowered the status of Mount Awu in Sangihe Islands Regency, North Sulawesi/Intermediate DOC

MANADO - Geological Agency, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), as of today reduces the status of Mount Awu in Sangihe Islands Regency, North Sulawesi, to Level II (Alert).

"Based on the results of visual and instrumental monitoring until January 31, 2025, the activity level of Mount Awu was lowered from Level III (standby) to Level II (Alert) starting February 2, 2025 at 06.00 WITA," said Head of the Geological Agency Muhammad Wafid AN in a press release received in Manado, Antara, Sunday, February 2.

It was stated that on April 16, 2024, the activity level of Mount Awu was raised from Level II (Alert) to Level III (Alert) due to increased activity of shallow volcanic earthquakes (VB) and deep volcanic earthquakes (VA).

The latest development of the activity of the Awu Volcano until January 31, 2025, is that on current visual observations, activity on the surface is still in the form of crater smoke gusts with a height of about 10-200 meters (20 meters indominant) which indicates that crater smoke gust activity is still fluctuating and there is no continuous and significant increase.

Internal and shallow earthquakes (Spasmodic Burst) are still occurring, he said, but with the number of events that tend to decrease. The latest series of volcanic earthquakes occurred on January 31, 2025 between 18.07 - 18.17 WITA and recorded nine shallow volcanic earthquakes.

The reduction in the series of shallow volcanic earthquakes, he said, was that the process of releasing pressure and mapping rocks under the lava dome had decreased.

Muhammad Wafid said monitoring of Mount Awu's deformation using the Tiltmeter at Kolongan station still shows the accumulation of pressure caused by magma activity.

Likewise, the peak tiltmeter station also shows that there is still an accumulation of pressure.

Visual and instrumental observations show a decrease in seismic activity that is still accompanied by accumulated pressure, sudden changes are still possible.

However, with the 2004 lava dome in the crater of Mount Awu, it takes enormous energy to produce eruptions. "The evaluation will continue to be carried out to monitor the activities of Mount Awu in the future," he said.