October 12-November 5, 2024
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Spews Ash
In early November 2024, a series of explosive, deadly eruptions occurred at Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki—a volcano on the Indonesian island of Flores. A particularly strong eruption on November 3 sent hot ash as high as 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) into the air around midnight, some of which fell on several surrounding villages.
Mount Lewotobi is composed of the two adjacent stratovolcanoes: Laki-Laki and Perempuan (the "husband and wife"), which lie less than 2 kilometers apart. Volcanic material from the November 3 eruption fell as far as 6 kilometers (4 miles) from Laki-Laki’s crater, affecting more than 10,000 people, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency. Several smaller eruptions followed on November 5-6.
The false-color image above (right), acquired by the OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager-2) on Landsat 9, shows Laki-Laki on November 5, 2024. The landscape to the west of the crater was darkened by ash fallout from the recent eruptions. The other image (left) shows the same area on October 12, 2024.
The latest eruptions were a continuation of about ten months of eruptive activity at Laki-Laki. Ash plumes from these eruptions have often drifted west of the edifice. In August and September 2024, wind carried ash to the island’s Frans Xavier Seda Airport, about 84 kilometers (52 miles) west, forcing officials to temporarily close it, according to news reports.
The country’s volcano monitoring agency reported on November 3 that volcanic activity had increased in the days preceding the strong eruption. On November 1, there were 119 deep volcanic earthquakes, whereas the week prior saw an average of 10-12 per day.
The conical Laki-Laki has been frequently active during the 19th and 20th centuries, while the taller and broader Perempuan erupted most recently in 1921 and 1935.
References & Resources
- ANTARA News (2024, September 9) The airport in Maumere has been closed for two months due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi. Accessed November 6, 2024.
- Associated Press (2024, November 4) Volcanic eruption burns houses in Indonesia, killing at least 10 people. Accessed November 6, 2024.
- Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (2024, November 5) Government Urges Rapid Response After Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki Eruption. Accessed November 6, 2024.
- Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (2024, November 5) Announcement of Increase in Activity Level of G. Lewotobi Male from Level III (SIAGA) to Level IV (AWAS). Accessed November 6, 2024.
- Reuters (2024, November 5) Indonesia to evacuate 16,000 people after Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki eruption. Accessed November 6, 2024.
- Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program (2024) Report on Lewotobi (Indonesia) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 23 October-29 October. Accessed November 6, 2024.
- U.S. Geological Survey, via X (2024, November 5) Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, located on Flores Island in Indonesia, erupted before midnight on Sunday. Accessed November 6, 2024.
NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey . Story by Emily Cassidy .
