Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, located in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province on Flores Island, erupted dramatically, sending a massive ash plume up to almost 7 miles (11 kilometers) into the sky.
Images shared by the agency on Tuesday showed an orange ash cloud in the shape of a mushroom engulfing a nearby village.It is not immediately clear if there have been flight disruptions. When Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted in March, airlines were forced to cancel and delay flights into Bali, including Australia’s Jetstar and Qantas Airways (QAN.AX).Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, as well as its disaster mitigation agency, which oversees evacuation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As a result, the nation is at the highest alert status.
Geology agency head Muhammad Wafid said no one should carry out any activities within 7km of the eruption, and warned of potential lahar floods – a type of mud or debris flow of volcanic materials – if heavy rain occurs.Residents were also urged to wear face masks to protect themselves from volcanic ash.The National Disaster Mitigation Agency meanwhile said that at least one village had been evacuated, and ash rain was reported in several others outside the exclusion zone.A spokesman called on residents around the volcano “to evacuate to safe locations” as tremors were still being detected, which indicated ongoing volcanic activity.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki is one of Indonesia’s active volcanoes, forming part of a twin volcano complex alongside Mount Lewotobi Perempuan on the island of Flores i. The name “Laki-laki” translates to “man” in Indonesian, reflecting local traditions that view the two peaks as a symbolic “husband and wife” pair; “Perempuan” means “woman”.
Both volcanoes are part of the Lesser Sunda Islands volcanic arc, shaped by the subduction of the Indo-Australian Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate (which, in turn, are part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire”).
I would like to wrap this post up by noting an ash cloud reaching 7 miles in altitude is significant because it extends into the upper troposphere and potentially the lower stratosphere. Volcanic eruptions that propel ash and gases to these heights can have both immediate and long-term effects on global weather and climate.
Ash clouds at 7 miles can block and scatter sunlight, causing temporary cooling at the Earth’s surface. This effect is most pronounced if the ash cloud spreads widely and persists in the atmosphere.
So maybe this is a good time to rescind the “carbon taxes” and greenhouse gas inanity?
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