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Mount Awu

Awu

Stratovolcano · Indonesia · 1318m

A shallow lake partially fills the summit crater of Awu volcano in this 1995 view. Gunung Awu volcano, one of the deadliest in Indonesia, is cut by deep valleys that form passageways for lahars dissect the flanks of the 1320-m-high volcano. Powerful explosive eruptions in 1711, 1812, 1856, 1892, and 1966 produced devastating pyroclastic flows and lahars that caused more than 8000 fatalities.
A shallow lake partially fills the summit crater of Awu volcano in this 1995 view. Gunung Awu volcano, one of the deadliest in Indonesia, is cut by deep valleys that form passageways for lahars dissect the flanks of the 1320-m-high volcano. Powerful explosive eruptions in 1711, 1812, 1856, 1892, and 1966 produced devastating pyroclastic flows and lahars that caused more than 8000 fatalities. · Photo: Photo by Kristianto, 1995 (Centre of Volcanology & Geological Hazard Mitigation, Volcanological Survey of Indonesia). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
Indonesia
Region
Western Pacific / Sangihe Volcanic Arc
Elevation
1318m
Coordinates
3.689, 125.447
Last eruption
2004
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Geological summary

The massive Gunung Awu stratovolcano occupies the northern end of Great Sangihe Island, the largest of the Sangihe arc. Deep valleys that form passageways for lahars dissect the flanks of the volcano, which was constructed within a 4.5-km-wide caldera. Powerful explosive eruptions in 1711, 1812, 1856, 1892, and 1966 produced devastating pyroclastic flows and lahars that caused more than 8000 cumulative fatalities. Awu contained a summit crater lake that was 1 km wide and 172 m deep in 1922, but was largely ejected during the 1966 eruption.

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
1640~1676 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 31676~1713 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 31786~1822 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 41822~1858 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 31858~1895 · 5 eruptions · max VEI 31895~1931 · 4 eruptions · max VEI 21931~1968 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 41968~2004 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 216401713182218951968

Detailed timeline

  1. 2004VEI 2Observed
    2004-06-02 – 2004-08-16
  2. 1992VEI 1Observed
    1992-04-07 – Ongoing
    SE part of summit crater
  3. 1968VEI 2Geological estimate
    1968-08-16 – 1968-09-16
  4. 1966VEI 4Observed
    1966-08-12 – 1966-10-16
  5. 1930VEI 2Observed
    1930-12-16 – 1931-12-16
  6. 1922VEI 0Observed
    1922-06-20 – 1922-09-16
  7. 1921VEI 0Observed
    1921-02-16 – 1921-10-01
  8. 1913VEI 2Observed
    1913-03-14 – 1913-03-14
  9. 1893VEI 2Observed
    1893-07-02 – Ongoing
  10. 1892VEI 3Observed
    1892-06-07 – 1892-06-12
  11. 1885VEI 2Observed
    1885-08-18 – Ongoing
  12. 1883VEI 2Observed
    1883-08-25 – 1883-08-26
  13. 1875VEI 2Observed
    1875-08-16 – 1875-08-16
  14. 1856VEI 3Observed
    1856-03-02 – 1856-03-17
  15. 1812VEI 4Observed
    1812-08-06 – 1812-08-08
  16. 1711VEI 3Observed
    1711-12-10 – 1711-12-16
  17. 1699VEI ?Geological estimate
    1699 – Ongoing
  18. 1646 (±5 yrs)VEI 2Observed
    1646 – Ongoing
  19. 1640VEI 3Geological estimate
    1640-12 – 1641-01-04

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.