Mount Ruang

Ruang
Ruang from the island of Tagulandang, in March 2016
Highest point
Elevation725 m (2,379 ft)[1]
ListingSpesial Ribu
Coordinates2°18′18″N 125°21′54″E / 2.305°N 125.365°E / 2.305; 125.365
Geography
LocationSiau Tagulandang Biaro Islands Regency, Sangihe Islands, Indonesia
Geology
Mountain typeStratovolcano
Last eruptionApril 2024 (ongoing)

Ruang is the southernmost stratovolcano in the Sangihe Islands arc, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. It comprises an island 4 by 5 kilometres (2.5 mi × 3.1 mi) wide. The summit contains a partial lava dome and reaches some 725 metres (2,379 ft) in altitude. From its summit, Klabat's peak in the south, that of Siau to the north, and Ternate to the east can all be seen.[2]

Geology

The top of the mountain is partially filled with a lava dome formed as a result of activity in 1904. Since then, volcanic activity been observed through the formation of lava domes and pyroclastic flows.[1] It comprises an island 4 by 5 kilometres (2.5 mi × 3.1 mi) wide.[1][3]

Eruptions

Pre-21st century

At least 16 eruptions have been recorded from the volcano,[4] with the first one occurring in 1808.[1] Dr. Adolf Meyer witnessed a large eruption in 1871. Ruang was uninhabited at the time, but the inhabitants of nearby Tagulandang had many plantations on its slopes. The eruption destroyed these in minutes and caused a tsunami that obliterated most of their large village, situated on Tagulandang, opposite Ruang. Most of the village's inhabitants drowned, and their bodies afterward could be seen on the beach.[2] The death toll was estimated to be around 300 to 400.[4]

April 2024

Eruptions that began at 9:45pm (13:45 GMT) on 16 April forced over 800 people to evacuate the island for nearby Tagulandang[5] and the establishment of a 4-kilometre (2.5 mi) exclusion zone from the crater that was later extended to 6 kilometres (3.7 mi).[6] On 17 April, authorities raised the volcano's alert level to four, the highest in Indonesia and issued a tsunami alert which led to orders for 11,000 residents and evacuees in Tagulandang to be moved to Manado in mainland Sulawesi, citing the risk of the volcano collapsing into the sea.[7] The eruption also prompted the shutdown of Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado.[8] Siau Tagulandang Biaro Islands Regency, where the volcano is located, declared a 14-day state of emergency.[9] At least 501 houses and buildings were damaged by the eruption.[10]

Airlines from West Malaysia and Singapore cancelled flights to Sabah and Sarawak on 18 April due to reduced visibility.[11] The sulphur dioxide plume from the volcano had extended 1000 km, covering the whole of Borneo as of 19 April.[12] However, both Sabah and Sarawak surface air quality are not affected by the eruption.[13][14]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Ruang". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b Rowley, G. D. (1877). Ornithological Miscellany. Vol. 2. London: Taylor and Francis. pp. 324–325.
  3. ^ "Fakta Geologis Menarik Gunung Api Ruang: Sejarah Gelombang Pasang Telan 400 Jiwa". kumparan (in Indonesian). Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b "History of Ruang Volcano Eruption: 25-meter-high Tsunami". Tempo. 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Hundreds evacuated after Indonesia's Ruang volcano erupts". Reuters. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  6. ^ "More than 11,000 evacuated in northern Indonesia as volcano erupts". Al Jazeera. 18 April 2024. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Tsunami alert after a volcano in Indonesia has several big eruptions and thousands are told to leave". Associated Press. 18 April 2024. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Thousands evacuated as Indonesia volcano erupts, causes tsunami threat". France 24. 18 April 2024. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Gunung Ruang di Sulawesi Utara meletus, potensi tsunami 'masih ada'". BBC News Indonesia (in Indonesian). 18 April 2024. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Mt. Ruang eruption damages 498 houses, public facilities: BNPB". Antara. 21 April 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Scoot, other airlines cancel some flights to Indonesia and East Malaysia after Mount Ruang eruption". Channel News Asia. 18 April 2024. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  12. ^ "High concentration of sulfur dioxide from Indonesia's Mt Ruang volcanic eruption blankets Sarawak, Sabah and Kalimantan". Dayak Daily. 19 April 2024. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Mount Ruang eruption: Air quality in Sarawak good to moderate". The Sun (Malaysia). 19 April 2024. Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  14. ^ Lee, Stephanie (20 April 2024). "Sabah's air quality unaffected by Mt Ruang eruption, says state Health Dept director". The Star (Malaysia). Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.

External links

  • Media related to Mount Ruang at Wikimedia Commons
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mount_Ruang&oldid=1220541660"