Mount Agung will not release hot clouds: Agency

Jakarta (Antaranews Bali) - The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) here on Tuesday predicted that Mount Agung, which now in its highest alert level IV, will not release hot clouds but only smoke and volcanic ashes, the spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho stated.

"In contrary to Mount Sinabung, which is releasing hot clouds, Mount Agung in Bali will not form the molten material, because the lava has just filled one-third of the entire crater`s volume," Nugroho remarked in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He added that the hot clouds are formed when the lava fills the crater.

Mount Agung has a concave profile of the crater, and as a result, the lava should be loaded completely before developing into hot clouds.

On the contrary, Mount Sinabung has no concave-shaped crater, and as a result, the hot lava is directly turned into hot clouds after being released from the magma chamber.

"As the most dangerous molten material, the hot clouds could be released at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour," Nugroho stressed.

According to the spokesperson, every volcano has its own unique characteristics.

Although Mount Agung and Mount Sinabung are active volcanoes, the former once had recorded a massive eruption in 1963, while the latter has had multiple explosions till date.

Therefore, the Balinese people have compared the current phreatic eruptions with the previous one. Locals in Bali have appeared to be more concerned about the eruption compared to the villagers living near Mount Sinabung, he remarked.

Nugroho stated that the villagers near Mount Sinabung are more prepared in terms of anticipating the eruption, because they experience eruptions more frequently than villagers in Bali.

"Currently, the eruption of Mount Agung is lower in scale compared to the previous explosion in 1963," he noted. (WDY)