Global Volcanism Program | Tangkubanparahu

13 March-19 March 2013

CVGHM reported that phreatic eruptions from Tangkubanparahu's Ratu Crater occurred on 28 February and during 4-6 March, and generated ash plumes that rose up to 100 m above the crater. Sulfur dioxide emissions increased to a high level on 24 February and then decreased through 3 March. Sulfur dioxide emissions again increased during 5-9 March; CVGHM speculated that the increase was due to an enlargement of the eruptive vent, which had grown to a diameter of 20 m. Gas emissions decreased abruptly on 10 March and emission sounds stopped.

Seismicity had significantly increased on 22 February, marked by a growing number of daily events. A significant decrease was detected on 9 March. Deflation was detected from 24 February through early March, but was then stable during 7-14 March. On 18 March the Alert Level was lowered to 1 (on a scale of 1-4).

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

Available Weekly Reports

13 March 2013 Back to Top

CVGHM reported that phreatic eruptions from Tangkubanparahu's Ratu Crater occurred on 28 February and during 4-6 March, and generated ash plumes that rose up to 100 m above the crater. Sulfur dioxide emissions increased to a high level on 24 February and then decreased through 3 March. Sulfur dioxide emissions again increased during 5-9 March; CVGHM speculated that the increase was due to an enlargement of the eruptive vent, which had grown to a diameter of 20 m. Gas emissions decreased abruptly on 10 March and emission sounds stopped.

Seismicity had significantly increased on 22 February, marked by a growing number of daily events. A significant decrease was detected on 9 March. Deflation was detected from 24 February through early March, but was then stable during 7-14 March. On 18 March the Alert Level was lowered to 1 (on a scale of 1-4).

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

6 March 2013 Back to Top

According to news articles, an eruption from Tangkubanparahu on 4 March produced an ash plume that rose 500 m above the crater. An eight-minute-long eruption at 0559 on 7 March ejected ash 30 m above Ratu Crater.

Sources: The Jakarta Post

20 February 2013 Back to Top

CVGHM reported that on 21 February tremor increased at Tangkubanparahu and diffuse ash emissions rose from Ratu Crater. Based on the seismicity, visual observations, and temperature increases of the land around the crater, the Alert Level was raised to 2 (on a scale of 1-4) and visitors were reminded not to approach the crater within a radius of 1.5 km.

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

19 September 2012 Back to Top

CVGHM reported that during 23 August-21 September shallow volcanic earthquakes continued to be recorded at Tangkubanparahu but were less frequent. Other types of seismic signals also decreased. Based on seismicity, visual observations, deformation data, gas measurements, and soil and crater lake water temperatures, the Alert Level was lowered to 1 (on a scale of 1-4) on 21 September.

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

5 September 2012 Back to Top

CVGHM reported that seismicity at Tangkubanparahu had increased significantly on 13 August, then again on 23 August; seismicity fluctuated and remained elevated through 6 September. Earthquakes were located 0.5-4 km beneath Ratu Crater and in an area W at depths of 4-12 km. Soil temperatures at Ratu Crater showed an increasing trend on 31 August, but had gradually declined by 5 September. Sulfur dioxide gas emissions were high in an area NW of the crater, causing CVGHM to remind visitors not to approach the crater within a 1.5-km radius. Based on seismicity, visual observations, gas measurements, and crater lake water temperatures through 7 September, the Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 1-4).

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

22 August 2012 Back to Top

CVGHM reported that seismicity at Tangkubanparahu increased significantly on 13 August; earthquakes continued to be recorded through 23 August. The Alert Level was raised to 2 (on a scale of 1-4). Visitors and residents were prohibited from going within a 1.5-km radius of the active crater.

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

13 April 2005 Back to Top

At Tangkubanparahu "white thin smoke" was emitted from Upas Baru crater and Ratu crater on 14 April, and from Upas Baru crater on 15 April. On 14 and 15 April shallow and deep volcanic earthquakes were recorded. During this time visitors were banned from the volcano. On 19 April the Alert Level was reduced from 3 to 2 (on a scale of 1-4) and the volcano was opened to the public, but access was restricted around Ratu crater and not permitted at the other craters.

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

6 April 2005 Back to Top

On 13 April at 0700 DVGHM raised the Alert Level at Tangkubanparahu to 2 (on a scale of 1-4) due to an increase in seismicity at the volcano. In addition to an increase in seismicity in comparison to the previous day, there was a strong scent of sulfur near Ratu crater. On the 13th at 1300 the Alert Level was raised to 3 due to a further increase in seismicity and the occurrence of tremor. No ash plume was observed. Visitors were banned from the summit and crater area.

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

9 October 2002 Back to Top

During 9 September to 6 October, seismicity at Tangkubanparahu was dominated by volcanic events. Also, thin ash plumes rose 2.5 m above the volcano. Tangkubanparahu remained at Alert Level 2 (on a scale of 1-4).

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

11 September 2002 Back to Top

On 2 September VSI raised the Alert Level at Tangkubanparahu from 1 to 2 (on a scale of 1-4). The number of daily earthquakes had been increasing for 2 weeks and the temperatures of Domas and Ratu craters were 2-4°C higher than normal. There were no surface changes at the volcano, but several animals from the forest near Ratu crater were found dead in the crater.

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

Summary of eruption dates and Volcanic Explosivity Indices (VEI).

Start Date	Stop Date	Eruption Certainty	VEI	Evidence	Activity Area or Unit
[ 1985 Nov 15 ]	[ 1985 Nov 15 ]	Uncertain	1		Kawah Baru
1983 Sep 14	Unknown	Confirmed	1	Historical	Kawah Ratu
1969 Jul 20	1969 Oct 21	Confirmed	1	Historical	Kawah Ecoma
1967 Jul	1967 Jul	Confirmed	1	Historical	Kawah Ecoma
1965 Oct	1965 Oct	Confirmed	1	Historical
1965 Feb	1965 Mar	Confirmed	1	Historical
1961 Jul 16	1961 Aug 1	Confirmed	1	Historical
1957 Jan	1957 Jan	Confirmed	1	Historical	Kawah Baru
1952 Jul 4 (?)	1952 Jul 11	Confirmed	1	Historical	Kawah Ecoma
1929 May 20	1929 May 20	Confirmed	0	Historical	Kawah Ecoma
1926 Mar 1	1926 Jul 9	Confirmed	1	Historical	Kawah Ecoma
1910 Apr 7	1910 May	Confirmed	2	Historical	Kawah Ratu B
1896 May 22	1896 May 23	Confirmed	2	Historical	Kawah Baru
1846 May 27	Unknown	Confirmed	2	Historical	Kawah Ratu B
1842	Unknown	Confirmed		Historical
1829 Apr 1	1829 Apr 4 (?)	Confirmed	2	Historical	Kawah Ratu and Kawah Domas
1826 Oct 11	1826 Oct 11	Confirmed	2	Historical
7500 BCE ± 50 years	Unknown	Confirmed		Radiocarbon (uncorrected)	Tephra layer YT3
8020 BCE ± 50 years	Unknown	Confirmed		Radiocarbon (uncorrected)	Tephra layer YT2

Tangkubanparahu (also known as Tangkuban Perahu) is a broad shield-like stratovolcano overlooking Indonesia's former capital city of Bandung. The volcano was constructed within the 6 x 8 km Pleistocene Sunda caldera, which formed about 190,000 years ago. The volcano's low profile is the subject of legends referring to the mountain of the "upturned boat." The rim of Sunda caldera forms a prominent ridge on the western side; elsewhere the caldera rim is largely buried by deposits of Tangkubanparahu volcano. The dominantly small phreatic historical eruptions recorded since the 19th century have originated from several nested craters within an elliptical 1 x 1.5 km summit depression.