Volcanic activity at Mount Ibu in North Maluku showed another increase on Thursday (9/7/2026). According to a report by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia application, the volcano spewed an ash column 500 meters above the peak, or about 1,825 meters above sea level, at 09:12 WIT.
The observed ash column was of moderate to thick intensity, moving toward the northeast. This eruption adds to the long record of Mount Ibu's volcanic activity, which has recorded 26 eruptions in just the past week.
To date, Mount Ibu's activity status remains at Level II or "Waspada" (Alert). Based on seismograph recordings for the period of July 9, 2026, 84 eruption earthquakes were detected with an amplitude reaching 28 millimeters, in addition to avalanche and gust earthquake activities which continue to be closely monitored by experts in the field.
In response to these conditions, PVMBG issued a stern warning to local residents and tourists to refrain from any activities within a 2-kilometer radius of the active crater. This exclusion zone is extended to 3.5 kilometers in the northern crater opening sector to anticipate the potential danger of ejected incandescent materials and hot clouds.
Data from MAGMA Indonesia notes that the trend of volcanic activity in the country throughout 2026 is quite high, with a total of 3,045 eruptions across Indonesia. Mount Ibu itself remains one of the most active volcanoes with a total of 1,020 eruptions, placing it second after Mount Semeru in East Java, which recorded 1,358 eruptions during the same period.
