According to news articles, an eruption from Marapi on 26 September produced an ash plume that rose 1.5 km above the crater.

26 September 2012            Back to Top

According to news articles, an eruption from Marapi on 26 September produced an ash plume that rose 1.5 km above the crater.

Sources: Big Pond News

16 May 2012            Back to Top

According to a news article, an approximately 10-minute-long eruption from Marapi produced an ash plume that rose 600 m on 18 May. The article noted that the Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4).

Sources: MI News 26

7 March 2012            Back to Top

According to a news article from 5 March, several eruptions from Marapi produced ash plumes during the previous week. An ash plume rose 1 km above the crater on 4 March and drifted 10 km S. A representative from CVGHM noted that the Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4).

Sources: BNO News

12 October 2011            Back to Top

Based on information from CVGHM, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 12 October an eruption from Marapi produced an ash plume that rose to an altitude of 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted E.

Sources: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)

5 October 2011            Back to Top

Based on a pilot report, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 11 October an ash plume from Marapi rose to an altitude of 3.7 km (12,000 ft) a.s.l. Ash was not identified in satellite imagery.

Sources: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)

10 August 2011            Back to Top

According to a news article, two eruptions from Marapi occurred on 9 August. The article also noted that the Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4).

Sources: Metro TV News

27 July 2011            Back to Top

CVGHM reported increased seismicity from Marapi during 21 June-3 August. Observers noted that during June and July white plumes rose 15-75 m above the summit craters. On 1 August white plumes rose 15 m above the main crater; fog prevented observations the next day. On 3 August dense gray plumes rose 300-1,000 m above the crater on eight occasions. That same day CVGHM raised the Alert Level to 2 (on a scale of 1-4). Visitors and residents were prohibited from going within a 3-km radius of the summit.

Sources: Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM)

20 July 2005            Back to Top

DVGHM raised the Alert Level at Marapi from 1 to 2 on 18 July after the number of earthquakes increased dramatically during 8-14 July. During this period, the volcano's seismic network recorded 112 deep volcanic earthquakes. Normally, an average of 7 deep volcanic earthquakes occur in 1 week. No significant activity changes were seen at the volcano; gas emissions rose ~50 m above the summit (9,650 ft a.s.l.) and fumarole temperatures were normal.

Sources: Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM)

4 August 2004            Back to Top

Increased volcanic activity at Marapi during early August led DVGHM to raise the Alert Level to 2 from 1 (on a scale of 1-4) on 5 August. Ash explosions rose 500-1,000 m above the summit and no seismic data were available. Visitors and villagers in the Tanah Datar and Padang Panjang districts were advised not to climb the volcano.

Sources: Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM)

2 May 2001            Back to Top

VSI reported that volcanic activity continued at Marapi at a decreased level in comparison to the previous week. Thirty explosions were observed and an ash plume rose 3 km above the summit. Tephra fell up to 4 km in radius from the crater. Marapi remained at Alert Level 2 (on a scale of 1-4).

Sources: Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM)

25 April 2001            Back to Top

VSI reported that the Marapi eruption at 0814 on 16 April produced a cauliflower-shaped black ash plume that rose 2 km above the summit. Ash, lapilli, and volcanic bombs were ejected during the eruption and fell within the crater. In addition, ash fell in many villages on the S and SW flanks of the volcano. Within 1-4 km from the summit the thickness of the ash deposits was between 2 and 3 cm. Until 18 April approximately 150 smaller explosions continuously occurred. The 16 April eruption was preceded by shallow volcanic earthquakes that began on 7 April and by continuous volcanic tremor recorded on 9 April. Small eruptions occurred at 1283 and 1600 on 13 April. VSI had increased the Alert Level at Marapi from 1 to 2 following the minor activity that began on 13 April.

Sources: Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM)

18 April 2001            Back to Top

Based on information from VSI, the Darwin VAAC reported that after increased volcanic activity occurred over the preceding two weeks VSI raised the Alert Level at Marapi from 1 to 2. The increased activity included an eruption on 16 April that sent an ash cloud up to 2 km above the summit. In addition, an eruption on about 23 April produced an ash cloud that rose up to ~6 km a.s.l. and drifted to the E.

Sources: Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM) , Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)

Below is a summary of eruption dates and Volcanic Explosivity Indices (VEI).

The following references are the sources used for data regarding this volcano. References are linked directly to our volcano data file. Discussion of another volcano or eruption (sometimes far from the one that is the subject of the manuscript) may produce a citation that is not at all apparent from the title. Additional discussion of data sources can be found under Volcano Data Criteria.

de Waard D, Klompe H F, 1952. The recent activity of G. Marapi in central Sumatra. {Nat Tijd Ned-Indie}, 108: 131-140

Hantke G, 1955. Ubersicht uber die Vulkanische Tatigkeit 1951-1953. {Bull Volc}, 16: 71-114

Kusumadinata K, 1979. {Data Dasar Gunungapi Indonesia}. Bandung: Volc Surv Indonesia, 820 p

Neumann van Padang M, 1951. Indonesia. {Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World and Solfatara Fields}, Rome: IAVCEI, 1: 1-271

Westerveld J, 1952. Quaternary volcanism on Sumatra. {Geol Soc Amer Bull}, 63: 561-594

Gunung Marapi, not to be confused with the better-known Merapi volcano on Java, is Sumatra's most active volcano. Marapi is a massive complex stratovolcano that rises 2000 m above the Bukittinggi plain in Sumatra's Padang Highlands. A broad summit contains multiple partially overlapping summit craters constructed within the small 1.4-km-wide Bancah caldera. The summit craters are located along an ENE-WSW line, with volcanism migrating to the west. More than 50 eruptions, typically consisting of small-to-moderate explosive activity, have been recorded since the end of the 18th century; no lava flows outside the summit craters have been reported in historical time.