Marapi / Sumatra : new ash explosion.

Marapi, seen from Kapu - 30/08/2012 - photo © Pascal Blondé

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 , the volcano Marapi , located on the island of Sumatra (not to be confused with the Merapi, on Java ) had to 4:15 p.m. local an ashy eruption .
Powerful bursts of ash , tephra and sand were ejected from the volcano in the districts of Tanah Datar and Agam , according to the official in charge of Volcanological Observatory . The height of the eruptive column could not be determined visually , because of the fog enveloping West Sumatra caused by forest fires raging in the neighboring Riau province.
The alert level is maintained at 3 to 4 , together with a "no-go zone" of three kilometers , area where villages are however located . The authorities have not recommended evacuation.
According to the local observatory, this eruption is the largest of a series which began Aug. 3, 2013 . Since January this year, the Gunung Marapi had a total of 57 eruptions, of small-scale and not always discussed by the media.

Marapi - four summit craters - 23/09/2009 - photo © Pascal Blondé

Marapi - fumarole activity at one of the craters - 23/09/2009 - photo © Pascal Blondé

The Marapi is a complex stratovolcano overlooking of 2000 meters the plain of Bukittinggi . Its broad summit houses craters partially overlapping ,on a line ENE- WSW , built in a small caldera 1400 meters wide.

Sources :

- Alerte Volcanodiscovery - link

- Presse locale / Freepresse journal - link

- Global Volcanism Program -

- Volcans de Sumatra - sur le site de Pascal Blondé - link